Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, speaks to a colleague on the floor of the Alabama Senate on April 3, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)
The Alabama Senate Thursday passed a bill expanding the pool of people who can claim a religious exemption from vaccines and allowing them to do so without explanation.
SB 85 , sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, extends the existing religious exemption requirements from parents of K-12 students to college students. It also would not require either to provide or explain the reason for the exception or have it certified or approved by local school boards. The legislation also mandates that public colleges and universities provide both religious and medical exemptions if they require students to be vaccinated or tested for diseases. The bill passed 26-5…