Healthcare (Public Health)

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 3, 2026

HB 5112: Prohibiting laws requiring person to receive or use medical products

HB 5112 prohibits any West Virginia law from requiring residents to receive or use medical products, such as vaccines or treatments. It directly affects all West Virginia residents and ensures no penalties (like fines) or loss of benefits (such as services or programs) can be imposed for refusing a medical product or declining to disclose its use. The bill amends health code §16-3-1 to state that no law may coerce medical product use, penalize refusal, or deny benefits based on refusal or disclosure. This applies broadly to all medical products under state law, not limited to specific treatments. The law would override existing or future state mandates requiring medical products during public health emergencies.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill prohibits mandates for medical products (e.g., vaccines), restricting public health program enforcement and limiting state requirements for health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 9, 2026

HB 5338: Health Freedom for Teachers and Students Act.

HB 5338, the Health Freedom for Teachers and Students Act, prohibits West Virginia public schools from requiring teachers, staff, or students to receive immunizations or medical treatments as a condition of employment or enrollment. The bill also bans school employees from coercing or intimidating others into receiving such treatments. It amends state law to establish these protections immediately upon passage, directly affecting all public school employees and students in West Virginia. The legislation removes mandatory vaccination or medical treatment requirements that previously applied to school settings.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill prohibits mandatory immunizations in schools, restricting a standard health policy requirement for K-12 institutions.95% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBans mandatory school immunizations, restricting a key public health measure that protects community health and school safety.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health Public Health

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 3, 2026

HB 5090: To eliminate all vaccine requirements for school children

HB 5090 would eliminate all vaccine requirements for school children in West Virginia by amending state law to prohibit schools from mandating vaccinations as a condition for enrollment. The bill removes current requirements that students must be immunized against specific diseases like measles, polio, and chickenpox to attend school. This change would directly affect all public, private, and parochial schools in the state and their enrolled students. The legislation does not address vaccine safety or public health measures, only the enrollment requirement.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill eliminates mandatory vaccination requirements for school enrollment, removing a key health and safety standard in K-12 education policy.95% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill eliminates mandatory school vaccines (measles, polio, etc.), directly restricting public health initiatives and weakening immunization requirements for children.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 27, 2026

SB 609: Exempting students of higher education from compulsory vaccination requirements

SB 609 would exempt West Virginia higher education students at colleges, universities, and vocational schools from mandatory vaccination requirements. Students aged 18+ or their parents/guardians could request exemption by submitting a signed statement objecting to immunizations based on sincerely held religious beliefs. The bill creates a new religious exemption pathway for student vaccinations, replacing current policies requiring all students to comply with school immunization rules. This change applies specifically to higher education institutions and does not affect other vaccination requirements.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill creates religious exemption for student vaccinations, reducing mandatory public health requirement. Limits enforcement of vaccination program.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 27, 2026

SB 608: Relating to religious exemption to mandatory vaccination requirements

SB 608 would amend West Virginia law to add a religious exemption for school immunization requirements. It allows children to be exempt from mandatory vaccines (chickenpox, measles, polio, and others) if parents or guardians submit a signed certification stating their sincerely held religious objections. This exemption would apply to children entering public, private, or parochial schools and state-regulated child care centers. The bill does not change the list of required vaccines or existing medical exemptions, but adds religious objections as a new basis for exemption. Schools and child care centers would need to accept these religious exemption certifications for enrollment.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill weakens mandatory school vaccination requirements by adding religious exemptions, directly restricting public health program enforcement for immunization coverage.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 14, 2026

HB 4070: Relating to natural immunity or antibodies to any illness to be treated as equal or better to vaccine induced immunity

HB 4070 would classify individuals who have naturally developed immunity from a communicable or infectious disease as "fully vaccinated" for all purposes, requiring them to be treated equally or preferentially compared to those with vaccine-induced immunity. The bill applies to all communicable or infectious diseases and directly affects people who recovered from an illness without vaccination. It changes how immunity is legally recognized in West Virginia, making natural immunity equivalent to vaccine immunity in policy implementation. This does not eliminate vaccination requirements but reclassifies natural immunity as meeting the "fully vaccinated" standard.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill equates natural immunity with vaccine immunity, potentially reducing vaccination rates and undermining public health initiatives that rely on vaccine coverage.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 237: Prohibiting mandates for vaccines

SB 237 prohibits state and local government entities from mandating vaccines for any purpose. The bill adds a new section (§16-3-4d) to West Virginia law, explicitly stating that no state or local official, department, or agency may require vaccinations. This directly affects all government bodies, including public health departments and schools operating under state authority. The law prevents mandates by entities defined under §16-1-2 of the West Virginia Code, covering all vaccine requirements imposed by government. It does not address private sector mandates or vaccine recommendations.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareProhibits vaccine mandates by public health authorities, restricting a core public health program enforcement mechanism per bill's explicit language.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 27, 2026

SB 606: Relating to employee exemptions from employer-mandated vaccinations

Senate Bill 606 would allow private-sector employees in West Virginia to opt out of employer-mandated vaccinations based on sincerely held religious beliefs. Employees would need to provide a certificate stating their religious objection to their employer, and employers could not retaliate against them through penalties like withholding bonuses, pay raises, or promotions. The bill directly affects employees and employers in the private sector, establishing a specific religious exemption from vaccination requirements. It amends West Virginia's labor law to guarantee this right without requiring additional proof beyond the employee's certificate. This policy change creates a clear, legally protected exemption pathway for religious objections to workplace vaccination mandates.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill restricts employer vaccination mandates, weakening public health enforcement by allowing religious exemptions to mandatory vaccines.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill protects employees' religious rights in workplace vaccination policies by prohibiting retaliation, directly advancing workers' rights under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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