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UPDATE: 2/23/2024 - SB 20 died, carryover from the 2023 session failed to move in the Senate before the crossover deadline for bills to pass their originating chamber by
2/23/2024.
UPDATE: 5/12/2023 - SB 20 failed to be scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare before the 2023 session adjourned on 5/12/2023. Bills in KS on which no final action has been taken at the time of adjournment of a regular session of the legislature held in an odd numbered year shall remain alive during the interim and may be considered at the next succeeding regular session held in an even-numbered year, as if there had been no adjournment.
UPDATE: 3/1/2023 - SB 20 was withdrawn from the Senate Committee on Ways and Means Senate and re-referred to the Committee on Public Health and Welfare on 3/1/2023.
UPDATE: 2/23/2023 - SB 20 was withdrawn from the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare and referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means on 2/23/2023.
SB 20 was referred to the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare on 1/11/2023. This bill is sponsored by Senator Steffen.
This bill expands current Kansas law that was enacted by the passage of HB 2001 in 2021, K.S.A. 44-663. The current law requires that if an employer implements a COVID-19 vaccine requirement, the employer shall exempt an employee from such requirement, without punitive action, if the employee submits a written waiver request for medial or religious beliefs. SB 20 would remove the word COVID-19 making this requirement in current state law apply to all vaccines.
Students attending a public or nonpublic high school or a postsecondary educational institution who, as part of coursework, interact with patients and deliver care at a healthcare facility under the supervision of an individual licensed to provide such patient care are added to the definition of employees required to be given medical and religious exemptions in current law, K.S.A 44-663.
This bill also removes the restrictive religious belief exemption language in current state law for children in child care facilities and schools that requires the parent be an adherent of a religious denomination whose teachings are opposed to immunizations. The religious exemption would be changed to – a written statement signed by a at least one parent or guardian stating that the requirement would violate sincerely held religious beliefs of the parent or guardian.
The person maintaining a child care facility or the board of education of a school district shall grant a religious exemption without inquiring into the sincerity of the request.
Religious beliefs are defined to include, but are not limited to, theistic and non-theistic moral and ethical beliefs as to what is right and wrong that are sincerely held with the strength of traditional religious views.
The bill also establishes a penalty. See full text as introduced here - http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb20_00_0000.pdf
If passed the new law would go into effect and be in force from and after its publication in the statute book.
http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb20/ - text, status and history for SB 20
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