About Senate Bill 8 (2021)

Senate Bill 8 (SB8) was passed by both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly during the 2021 legislative session and became law on March 28, 2021 without the signature of the Governor.

Read the full bill text at here.

About SB8

• Amends pre-existing Kentucky law KRS 214.036 that gives the Cabinet for Health and Family Services the ability to require the vaccination “of all persons within the area of epidemic, against the disease responsible for such epidemic”
• Adds exemptions for reasons of medical contraindication, objection on religious grounds, or objection due to conscientiously held beliefs for any vaccine that might be mandated by the state, now or in the future, due to an epidemic/pandemic
• If a vaccine were to become mandated by the state, the state would be required to create and make available a standard exemption form
• SB8 is not just about COVID; the provisions also apply any future vaccine that could be mandated due to any future epidemic/pandemic
• Does not create exemptions for employees for workplace mandates
• Does not expand the pre-existing religious and medical exemptions for vaccine requirements for daycare and K-12 schools
• Does not add a conscientiously held belief exemption for daycare and K-12 schools
• Modifies the requirements of who can grant a medical exemption for daycares and K-12 schools from “attending physician” to “attending healthcare provider”