POLISCOPE
Back to feed
NewsABC Action News (WFTS) — NewsAugust 4, 2026Hillsborough

Florida Attorney General warns Catholic schools to accept religious vaccine exemptions or face scholarship funding loss

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued a warning to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops that private schools refusing to honor state-recognized religious vaccine exemptions may lose eligibility for state-funded school choice scholarships. The Attorney General asserts that state law requires all schools to accept these exemptions, while some dioceses maintain policies that do not recognize religious objections to immunization.

educationvaccinationreligious freedomschool choicescholarships
Read the full story at ABC Action News (WFTS) — News

Why It Matters

If enforced, this policy could impact the eligibility of Catholic schools to receive state scholarship funds that currently support approximately 92% of their students, potentially forcing a change in school health policies.

Key Facts

  • Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a letter to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops demanding they honor religious vaccine exemptions.
  • The Attorney General warned that schools refusing to comply could lose access to state-funded education scholarship programs.
  • Approximately 92% of Florida Catholic-school students used state school-choice scholarships during the 2025-26 school year.
  • The Diocese of Orlando has a published policy stating its schools do not recognize religious objections to vaccination.
  • Florida law currently requires students to receive vaccines against specified communicable diseases to attend K-12 schools.
  • Religious exemptions are currently available through county health departments if immunization conflicts with religious tenets.
  • The Florida Department of Education, not the Attorney General, holds the authority to suspend or revoke school participation in scholarship programs.
  • The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops is required to respond to the Attorney General by August 7.
  • No Catholic schools have been removed from scholarship programs as a result of this dispute to date.

Who's Mentioned

personRon DeSantis“Governor of Florida”organizationFlorida Conference of Catholic Bishops“Recipient of the Attorney General's letter”organizationDiocese of Orlando“Catholic diocese with a policy not recognizing religious vaccine objections”personDaryl Campbell“State Representative”personJames Uthmeier“Florida Attorney General”organizationStep Up For Students“Organization providing enrollment data”