Illinois Rep. DeLuca’s college immunization amendment bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Anthony DeLuca aims to update exemption and compliance terms in the College Student Immunization Act to clarify immunization requirements for Illinois college students, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 68 Democrats and 21 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 12 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 38 Democrats and 11 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while eight Republicans voted against it.

DeLuca introduced the bill in the Illinois House on Jan. 9, 2025 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as HB1073, was passed on May 21, 2025 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Amends the College Student Immunization Act. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year, for a tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccine (Tdap) requirement, if a student who enrolls in a post-secondary educational institution cannot provide the dates on which the student received 3 or more doses of a diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis containing vaccine, then the student must provide at least one date on which the student received a dose of the vaccine not more than 10 years prior to the beginning of the term of current enrollment. Provides that additional doses of either a Tdap vaccine or a tetanus and diphtheria vaccine shall be administered in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention catch-up schedule, as needed, to complete a series of at least 3 doses, including any prior doses of specified vaccines. Effective immediately.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends the College Student Immunization Act to change exemption and compliance terms regarding immunization requirements in Illinois post-secondary institutions. It specifies exemptions for students enrolled on or before the Act’s effective date, individuals enrolled less than half-time, and those whose studies involve no classroom instruction. Exemptions are also available for medical contraindications certified by a physician and for religious objections with a signed statement. Starting with the 2025-26 academic year, students must provide a date of receiving a Tdap vaccine within the last 10 years if they cannot provide records of receiving three doses. Any additional doses required to complete the immunization series should be administered according to CDC guidelines. This Act becomes effective immediately upon becoming law.

The bill was sponsored only by Sen. Patrick J. Joyce (Democrat-40th District).

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

DeLuca, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2009 to represent the state’s 80th House District, replacing previous state representative George Scully, Jr..

Lawmakers listed as “Not Voting” were present for the vote but did not cast a vote. Those marked as having an “Excused Absence” were not present and formally provided a reason for their absence, which was accepted.