---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to exceptions to mandatory immunization requirements and declaring an emergency."
description: "AN ACT relating to exceptions to mandatory immunization requirements and declaring an emergency."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2021RS"
identifier: "SB 8"
citation: "Kentucky SB 8 (2021RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Civil Rights", "Drugs and Medicines", "Effective Dates", "Emergency", "Governor", "Health and Medical Services", "Nurses", "Parental Rights", "Pharmacists", "Physicians and Practitioners", "Public Health", "Public Safety", "State Agencies"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["A. Southworth", "L. Bechler", "L. Bechler", "L. Bechler", "L. Willner", "L. Willner", "L. Willner", "M. Castlen", "M. Hart", "M. Marzian", "M. Wilson", "R. Mills"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 30
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2021-01-11T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-03-28T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/2cbbd989-168b-41e4-adea-50364597a9f5"
source_url: "https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/21RS/sb8.html"
source_hash: "a686fbdc5ee787f6e243fc40d9387a9b683d0a2abffaab69397b2c48d2684598"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ky"]
---

# Kentucky SB 8 (2021RS) — AN ACT relating to exceptions to mandatory immunization requirements and declaring an emergency.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/21RS/sb8/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **Acts Chapter 147** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/21RS/documents/0147.pdf)
3. **Current/Final** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/21RS/sb8/bill.pdf)

## Votes

- PASS SB 8 W/ scs1 — **pass** (pass) · upper
- FINAL PASS SB 8 — **pass** (pass) · upper
- Suspend the Rules — **pass** (pass) · upper
- Pass — **pass** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- A. Southworth — primary (person)
- L. Bechler — primary (person)
- L. Bechler — primary (person)
- L. Bechler — primary (person)
- L. Willner — primary (person)
- L. Willner — primary (person)
- L. Willner — primary (person)
- M. Castlen — primary (person)
- M. Hart — primary (person)
- M. Marzian — primary (person)
- M. Wilson — primary (person)
- R. Mills — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-01-11T05:00:00+00:00** introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2021-01-11T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (S) `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-11T05:00:00+00:00** to Health & Welfare (S) `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-02T05:00:00+00:00** taken from Health & Welfare (S)
- **2021-02-02T05:00:00+00:00** 1st reading `reading-1`
- **2021-02-02T05:00:00+00:00** returned to Health & Welfare (S)
- **2021-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 2nd reading, to Rules with Committee Substitute `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, February 4, 2021
- **2021-02-04T05:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 34-1-1 with Committee Substitute (1) `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-02-04T05:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2021-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** to Health & Family Services (H) `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-01T05:00:00+00:00** posted in committee
- **2021-03-04T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-04T05:00:00+00:00** floor amendments (1), (2), (3) and (4) filed to Committee Substitute
- **2021-03-05T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2021-03-11T05:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 12, 2021
- **2021-03-11T05:00:00+00:00** floor amendment (5), (6) and (7) filed to Committee Substitute
- **2021-03-12T05:00:00+00:00** floor amendment (8) filed to Committee Substitute `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-03-12T05:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading `reading-3`
- **2021-03-12T05:00:00+00:00** floor amendment (8) defeated
- **2021-03-12T05:00:00+00:00** passed 77-20 with Committee Substitute `passage`
- **2021-03-12T05:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2021-03-12T05:00:00+00:00** to Rules (S) `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-15T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage for concurrence in House Committee Substitute (1) for Tuesday, March 16, 2021
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** Senate concurred in House Committee Substitute (1)
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** Bill passed 33-1 `passage`
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Governor
- **2021-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 147) `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/2cbbd989-168b-41e4-adea-50364597a9f5`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).