Tennessee legislature to pass religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccination as vaccine rollout plummets: The Tennessean
Editor's note: this story has been updated to clarify how the bill would apply to hospitals. A Tennessee proposal prohibiting the government from mandating COVID-19 vaccination and allowing religious exemptions cleared the Senate 20-8 Thursday, despite concerns the bill could lead to heightened vaccine hesitancy. The House passed the same measure 72-20 last week. The bill is expected to head to Gov. Bill Lee's desk after the House goes through a procedural move to have its version match the Senate. The proposal would prohibit state and local authorities from mandating the COVID-19 vaccine, although no governments in Tennessee have signaled desire for a mandate. It would also allow people to waive the vaccine out of religious beliefs or "by rights of conscience" even during a pandemic. The legislation would not apply to students at public universities and colleges studying in the medical and health care field, or students at any health care facilities. The bill also