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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
Potential foster and adoptive parents in Tennessee will no longer be subject to vaccination requirements after Governor Lee signed legislation on Thursday removing those stipulations.
Current law states that children 18 months old or younger cannot be placed in homes with unvaccinated family members.
The Department of Children’s Services will now be prohibited from requiring immunizations in order to place children in foster or adoptive homes.
The measure, sponsored by Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson-District 11) and Representative Ron Gant (R-Piperton-District 94), will expand the pool of eligible families who are able to foster and adopt in Tennessee while also protecting religious exemption requests.
Those against the change have argued that the needs of the child are being disregarded while priority is given to the choices of the potential family.
HB1726/SB2359 will go into effect immediately, once a public chapter number has been assigned.
