A bill to prohibit the award of Federal education funds to educational institutions and agencies that do not allow for religious exemptions to vaccination requirements, and for other purposes.
Key claim: S5128 would prohibit awarding federal education funds to educational institutions and agencies that do not allow religious exemptions to vaccination requirements.
Abstract
(S5128 · 119th Congress) Latest action (2026-07-23): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Why this matters
This bill would use federal education funding as leverage to require schools nationwide to recognize religious exemptions to vaccination mandates, directly affecting the balance between religious liberty claims and public health authority in K-12 and higher education. For families seeking religious exemptions it would expand access; for schools and students relying on high immunization coverage it raises concerns about outbreak risk and the erosion of state-level authority to set vaccination policy.