Relating to an exemption from required immunizations for school enrollment.
LowStandard timeline
Low Cost
Effective:2025-09-01
Enforcing Agencies
Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
01
Compliance Analysis
Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
Implementation Timeline
Effective Date: September 1, 2025.
Compliance Deadline: October 1, 2025 (or sooner). DSHS is statutorily required to post the new printable form by this date. You must accept the new format immediately upon its release.
Agency Rulemaking: DSHS must modify the existing affidavit form to remove security seal requirements and post it online. Watch the Texas Register between July and September 2025 for the official release of the printable template.
Immediate Action Plan
Immediate: Redraft the "Immunizations" section of your 2025-2026 Parent Handbook to remove references to "ordering forms from Austin."
July 2025: Assign a compliance officer to monitor the DSHS website weekly for the release of the new PDF.
August 2025: Issue a memo to intake staff clarifying that existing security-paper affidavits remain valid and do not need to be replaced until they expire.
September 2025: Update internal audit checklists to remove "security seal" as a required field for compliance verification.
Operational Changes Required
Contracts
Enrollment Agreements & Parent Handbooks:
Review: Audit all admission documents for language requiring "original state affidavits," "security paper," or "forms requested by mail."
Amend: Replace restrictive language with: "Must provide the current, notarized DSHS affidavit form." Failure to update this language may render your enrollment policies unenforceable or discriminatory under the new statute.
Hiring/Training
Admissions & Intake Staff:
Retraining: Staff currently trained to reject plain paper forms must be retrained to accept them.
Validation Protocol: Shift the verification focus from checking for a "raised seal" to verifying the presence of the statutory text regarding risks/benefits and a valid notary stamp.
Reporting & Record-Keeping
File Retention:
No Change to Duration: Continue to retain the original, notarized affidavit in the student’s permanent file for two years.
Audit Preparation: Your files will now contain a mix of old security-paper forms (valid until expiration) and new white-paper forms. Ensure your filing system can distinguish between a valid self-printed form and an unauthorized photocopy.
Fees & Costs
Budget Impact:
Neutral/Positive: There are no new fees. This change eliminates the administrative delay of parents waiting for forms to arrive by mail, potentially accelerating the finalization of enrollment files and tuition collection.
Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations
The "August Gap": The law applies to the "2025-2026 school year," but the effective date is September 1, 2025. Most schools begin in August.
*Risk:* Parents may demand to use a printed form in August before the law technically allows it or before DSHS releases it.
*Guidance:* Enforce current "security paper" rules until DSHS officially posts the new printable PDF.
Print Quality Standards: The statute requires a "printable format" but does not define acceptance criteria for print quality (e.g., color vs. black/white, paper weight, double-sided printing). Until DSHS issues specific rules, you should accept any legible, notarized printout of the official form.
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The bill author has informed the committee that the current procedure for acquiring an immunization exemption form for school enrollment is time consuming, inconvenient, and very often causes a delay in school enrollment. H.B. 1586 seeks to address this issue by making the forms more readily accessible, so that parents or guardians may download and print the forms to complete, notarize, and return to the school before the enrollment deadlines.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 1586 amends the Health and Safety Code to revise provisions relating to the affidavit form developed by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) for use by a person claiming an exemption from a required immunization based on reasons of conscience. The bill requires DSHS to post the form in a printable format on the DSHS website and removes a requirement for the form to contain a seal or other security device to prevent reproduction of the form. The bill maintains the authorization for a person claiming an exemption to obtain the form by submitting a written request to DSHS but removes the specification that this is the only method of obtaining the form. The bill establishes that a person may not be required to provide any information to obtain a blank affidavit form.
H.B. 1586 removes the requirement for DSHS to maintain a record of the total number of affidavit forms sent out each year and to report that information annually to the legislature and authorizes DSHS instead to maintain a record of the total number of times an affidavit form was accessed on the DSHS website or requested in writing from DSHS. The bill replaces the prohibition against DSHS maintaining a record of the names of individuals who request an affidavit form with a prohibition against DSHS maintaining a record of any personally identifying information of individuals who download, access, request, or submit an affidavit form.
H.B. 1586 requires DSHS to modify the existing affidavit form not later than the 30th day after the bill's effective date. The bill's provisions apply beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
Honorable Gary VanDeaver, Chair, House Committee on Public Health
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1586 by Hull (Relating to an exemption from required immunizations for school enrollment.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB1586, As Introduced: a positive impact of $355,492 through the biennium ending August 31, 2027.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2026
$177,746
2027
$177,746
2028
$177,746
2029
$177,746
2030
$177,746
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2026
$177,746
2027
$177,746
2028
$177,746
2029
$177,746
2030
$177,746
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to develop a blank affidavit form for a person to use in claiming an exemption from a required immunization to be posted on the DSHS website in a printable format.
The bill would remove the requirement for DSHS to develop a blank affidavit form that contains a seal or other security device to prevent reproduction of the form.
The bill would allow DSHS to maintain a record of the total number of times an affidavit form was accessed on the agency's website or requested by submitting a written request to DSHS.
The bill would require DSHS to modify the existing affidavit form not later than the 30th after the effective date of the bill.
The bill would be required to take effect beginning with the 2025-26 school year.
Methodology
DSHS estimates a total savings of $177,746 in General Revenue Funds in each fiscal year because the bill would allow individuals the opportunity to print forms rather than requesting the form from DSHS. Printing the form from home would save DSHS costs for security paper, exemption form and education materials, envelopes, labels, postage, and temporary staffing.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
537 State Health Services, Department of
LBB Staff:
JMc, NPe, ER, APA
Related Legislation
Explore more bills from this author and on related topics
HB1586 fundamentally alters the intake process for immunization exemptions by eliminating the requirement for the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to issue affidavits on official security paper with a raised seal. Effective for the 2025-2026 school year, K-12 schools, preschools, and childcare facilities must accept downloadable, self-printed affidavits from parents, shifting the validation burden from physical security checks to content verification. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025.
Q
Who authored HB1586?
HB1586 was authored by Texas Representative Lacey Hull during the Regular Session.
Q
When was HB1586 signed into law?
HB1586 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.
Q
Which agencies enforce HB1586?
HB1586 is enforced by Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Q
How urgent is compliance with HB1586?
The compliance urgency for HB1586 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.
Q
What is the cost impact of HB1586?
The cost impact of HB1586 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
Q
What topics does HB1586 address?
HB1586 addresses topics including education, education--primary & secondary, education--primary & secondary--admission & attendance, health and health--other diseases & medical conditions.
Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025
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