Senate approves bill requiring schools to publicize vaccine exemption information
Any communication from schools on immunization requirements would have to include information and requirements for families seeking an exemption under a bill sent to the governor Tuesday.
House File 299 was passed by the Senate 32-16. The bill requires all Iowa K-12 schools, as well as child care centers, community colleges, universities under the Iowa Board of Regents as well as private universities using the tuition grant program, to include information on exemptions when communicating with students and families about vaccine requirements. For child care facilities and K-12 schools, information on vaccine requirement exemptions must also be published on their website and be included in student registration documents.
Republicans who spoke in support of the measure said it was needed because there were some reports of school staff falsely claiming that vaccines were required — with no exceptions — for students to be able to attend school.
Sen. Dennis Guth, R-Klemme, shared a story from a mother who spoke on the bill during a subcommittee meeting. He said the woman claimed that while she was registering her child for an exemption to vaccine requirements, she witnessed another parent being told they needed to get vaccinations despite expressing they did not want to vaccine their child.
“The first mother came and said, ‘There are exemptions, you know, you don’t have to do that,’ and the school official said, ‘I’m sorry, no shots, no school,'” Guth said. “That’s just not the truth. We have a law in Iowa, and this will help make sure that that law is upheld.”
Iowa law requires students to receive vaccinations to enroll in schools, including receiving the polio, measles, hepatitis B, varicella and meningococcal vaccines while in the K-12 school system. However, families have the ability to opt out from these requirements if vaccinating their child “conflicts with a genuine and sincere religious belief.” The law does not require families to obtain a waiver or specify their religion to claim the exemption.
Medical exemptions can also be granted by a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner who finds a required vaccination would be harmful to the health and well-being of the child or a member of their family.
While exemptions exist, Sen. Molly Donahue, D-Cedar Rapids, said the bill “risks sending a mixed message about the importance of the safety of vaccines” by emphasizing vaccine exemptions, potentially putting students in danger by diminishing herd immunity.
“The implications of this legislation could undermine public health efforts and lead to increased vaccine hesitancy, weakening our state and threatening our children,” Donahue said. “To be clear, vaccinations are safe. And this bill is particularly troubling when a resurgence of preventable diseases in areas with low vaccine rates is happening. Right now, we see measles popping up in multiple states.”
As of April 24, there have been a total of 884 confirmed measles cases in 29 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The largest outbreak has been in Texas, where two unvaccinated children died from the disease. Though no cases have been reported in Iowa since 2019, according to state public health officials, the neighboring states of Illinois and Minnesota have reported confirmed measles cases in 2025.
Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner also emphasized the efficacy of the measles vaccine in the wake of the recent outbreak and deaths from the disease.
“I’m left wondering how many have looked at the numbers of graves of young children in cemeteries prior to the advent of these vaccines, or looked into the long-term effects of measles on the immune system,” Weiner said. “… It is preventable, completely preventable through vaccination, and that is the most effective way to protect individuals and communities from measles.”
Having a wide majority of a people vaccinated — 95% — is needed to provide overall community protection from measles, according to medical professionals, especially for those who cannot get vaccinated because of issues like age or other health problems. Weiner said the bill will allow families to “feel free and are actually encouraged to opt out of life-saving vaccines,” which will put others at risk.
“This is unnecessary and in my view, irresponsible,” Weiner said. “We have a duty to Iowans. We should be informing the public about the safety, efficacy and importance of the measles and other vaccinations, and working to keep kids healthy and Iowans healthy.”
But Sen. Jesse Green, R-Boone, said the measure is not taking a stance on vaccines. He called the bill “an honesty bill,” because it is requiring schools share accurate information on vaccination requirements — and the fact that parents can seek exemptions.
“What’s troubling to me is a handful of schools in the state that decide it’s okay to lie to parents, that if you don’t receive shots then you can’t send your kids to school,” Green said. “That is a lie, and our parents in the state of Iowa deserve better. And so that’s what this bill ensures. It ensures an honest conversation between the taxpayers, the parents and the schools.”
The bill, which the Iowa House passed in March, goes to Gov. Kim Reynolds for final approval.
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