State Rep. Chip Brown (R-Hollinger’s Island) has re-filed his 2924 legislation requiring parents or guardians to provide written consent before minors can receive vaccinations after the bill stalled out in the 2024 legislative session.
Brown’s legislation successfully passed the Alabama House of Representatives in the 2024 session. However, like several bills this year, gambling gridlock prevented it from reaching the finish line. A similar bill from Brown also failed to pass in 2023.
House Bill 2 would add a short caveat to the existing law, stating that "an unemancipated minor may not give consent to the administration of a vaccination for himself or herself without the written consent of a parent or legal guardian." The current medical age of consent in Alabama is 14, a law that itself has faced criticism from lawmakers who believe the law is outdated.
The 2025 version of the bill is identical to the one approved by the House this year.
During last year’s debate, Republicans overwhelmingly supported the bill, while many House Democrats opposed the bill from the podium, some calling the bill “government overreach.”
Brown noted that vaccinations for COVID-19 were rushed out during "operation warp speed" when he first introduced the legislation. He also stated that potential side effects that could manifest even years after receiving the shots have yet to be studied or tested.
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