Monitoring the Session

SB 2119

conscience exemption from vaccines for medical and veterinary students

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Kevin SparksRSenate 31

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to an exemption from certain immunization requirements for medical and veterinary students.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

A signed affidavit skips the shots. Schools can’t override it.

The bill lets students at medical schools and veterinary schools skip required vaccines by filing a signed affidavit saying they decline for reasons of conscience, including religious belief. It covers students at any Texas college program that awards medical or veterinary degrees and overrides other law that would let those schools require shots for enrollment or courses. Starting with the 2025-2026 school year, these schools cannot block a student's enrollment or course participation over vaccines if the student turns in the state affidavit form within 90 days of notarizing it.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 6, 2025. Died in the House: never got out of the Public Health committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2119 · 2025-03-10

SOLD BY

Sen. Kevin SparksRSenate 31

+ 2 coauthors

ITEM

relating to an exemption from certain immunization requirements for medical and veterinary students.

WHAT IT DOES

A signed affidavit skips the shots. Schools can’t override it.

The bill lets students at medical schools and veterinary schools skip required vaccines by filing a signed affidavit saying they decline for reasons of conscience, including religious belief. It covers students at any Texas college program that awards medical or veterinary degrees and overrides other law that would let those schools require shots for enrollment or courses. Starting with the 2025-2026 school year, these schools cannot block a student's enrollment or course participation over vaccines if the student turns in the state affidavit form within 90 days of notarizing it.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 16, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Health & Human Services
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Co-author authorized
  10. Considered in public hearing
  11. Vote taken in committee
  12. Reported favorably as substituted
  13. Committee report printed and distributed
  14. Co-author authorized
  15. Placed on intent calendar
  16. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  17. Record vote
  18. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  19. Record vote
  20. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  21. Record vote
  22. Read 3rd time
  23. Passed
  24. Record vote
  25. Reported engrossed
  26. Received from the Senate
  27. Read first time
  28. Referred to Public Health
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 19 yea · 12 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · May 6, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Kevin Sparks

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$60KKyle & Jamie Stallings$25,000Tim Dunn$25,000

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 25, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$60,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$60,000.00

Cash
$60,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$60,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101012623, 101029380, 101072732.

Kyle & Jamie Stallings$25,000.00
Tim Dunn$25,000.00
Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$60,000.00

Cash
$60,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$60,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101012623, 101029380, 101072732.

Votes4

Senate May 6, 2025

Yea
19
Nay
12
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 19, Nays 12. (Same as previous roll call)

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 19 (published)
  • Nay: 12 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate May 6, 2025

Yea
19
Nay
12
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Sparks moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2119 at this time on its third reading and final passage: CSSB 2119, Relating to an exemption from certain immunization requirements for medical and veterinary students. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 19, Nays 12.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 19 (published)
  • Nay: 12 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate May 5, 2025

Yea
19
Nay
12
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by the following vote: Yeas 19, Nays 12. (Same as previous roll call)

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 19 (published)
  • Nay: 12 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate May 5, 2025

Yea
19
Nay
12
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Sparks moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2119 at this time on its second reading: CSSB 2119, Relating to an exemption from certain immunization requirements for medical and veterinary students. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 19, Nays 12.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 19 (published)
  • Nay: 12 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses15
For
11
Against
2
On
2
Names

For

  • Self1 registration
  • Self; Citizens Defending Freedom2 registrations
  • Self; Texans For Medical Freedom1 registration
  • Self; Texans for Vaccine Choice2 registrations
  • Self; Texas Right To Know1 registration
  • Self; True Texas Project4 registrations

Against

  • Self1 registration
  • Texas Association of City and Council Health Officials1 registration

On

  • Department of State Health Services1 registration
  • Self; Texas Medical Association and Texas Pediatric Society1 registration
Sources

15 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

Senate witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 16, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Mar 10, 2025

05/08/2025 H Referred to Public Health: May 8 2025 11:58PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors
Bob HallRSenate 2 Bryan HughesRSenate 1

House committee · Public Health · Final status: Died in committee

Senate committee · Health & Human Services · Committee vote 6 aye, 3 nay · Out of committee

Companion

HB 4927 by Shofner (identical)

Subjects

Education--Higher--Health Institutions

Health--General

Health--Other Diseases & Medical Conditions

IMMUNIZATIONS

PHYSICIANS

VETERINARIANS

Text

The text as introduced · 419 words

89R12396 MCF-D

By: Sparks
S.B. No. 2119

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to an exemption from certain immunization requirements for

medical and veterinary students.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 161.0041(a), Health and Safety Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(a) A person claiming an exemption from a required

immunization based on reasons of conscience, including a religious

belief, under Section 161.004 or 161.0053 of this code, Section

38.001, 51.9192, or 51.933, Education Code, or Section 42.043,

Human Resources Code, must complete an affidavit on a form provided

by the department stating the reason for the exemption. This

subsection does not apply to a person claiming the exemption using

the Internet-based process under Section 51.9192(d-3), Education

Code.

SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 161, Health and Safety

Code, is amended by adding Section 161.0053 to read as follows:

Sec. 161.0053. IMMUNIZATION EXEMPTION FOR MEDICAL OR

VETERINARY STUDENT. (a) In this section:

(1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning

assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code.

(2) "Medical school" means:

(A) a medical school as defined by Section

61.501, Education Code; or

(B) any other institution of higher education, or

school, department, or college of an institution of higher

education, that awards medical degrees.

(3) "School of veterinary medicine" means any school,

department, or college of an institution of higher education that

awards veterinary medicine degrees.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 51.933, Education Code, or any

other law, a student enrolled in a medical school or school of

veterinary medicine may not be required to receive an immunization

as a prerequisite to enrollment or participation in a course

offered by the medical school or school of veterinary medicine if

the student submits to the school's admitting official an affidavit

signed by the student stating the student declines immunization for

reasons of conscience, including a religious belief.

(c) An affidavit submitted under Subsection (b) must be on a

form described by Section 161.0041 and submitted to the admitting

official not later than the 90th day after the date the affidavit is

notarized.

SECTION 3. Section 161.0053, Health and Safety Code, as

added by this Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 academic

year.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.