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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill Establishes Religious Exemption From School Vaccine Mandates
Last action · January 27, 2026: To Health and Human ResourcesSponsors: Patricia Rucker and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
Senate Bill 608 allows parents and legal guardians to exempt children from mandatory school and child care immunizations by presenting a signed certification objecting on the basis of sincerely held religious beliefs.
Parents gain the legal right to opt their children out of the state's required school vaccinations based on religious objections without needing medical contraindication.
- West Virginia previously eliminated non-medical exemptions for school vaccine requirements, leaving medical exemptions as the sole permissible waiver prior to the introduction of this bill. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Parents and legal guardians
Parents and legal guardians gain the option to exempt their children from school and child care immunization requirements by submitting a signed religious objection certification.
School children and child care attendees
Children may be admitted to schools and state-regulated child care centers without receiving mandated vaccines if a religious exemption is presented.
Schools and state-regulated child care centers
Personnel must accept religious exemption certifications for enrollment and report individuals attempting to enroll without immunizations or valid exemptions to the commissioner.
Licensed physicians
Physicians continue to provide medical exemption certifications and vaccination certificates, and face misdemeanor fines ranging from $25 to $100 for issuing false immunization certificates.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a child receive a religious exemption from school vaccinations under this bill?
What specific vaccines are subject to the state's compulsory immunization requirements?
Does the bill alter medical exemptions for immunizations?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Jan 27, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Health and Human Resources
- Jan 27, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
- Jan 26, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Health and Human Resources
- Jan 26, 2026SenateIntroducedFiled for introduction
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy85Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz65Current news / social attention level
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