Action Alert: Maine’s Strong Vaccine Laws Are Under Attack.
On Monday, April 7, the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on two dangerous bills that threaten the health of Maine’s children and communities.
LD 174 would bring back non-medical “religious” exemptions to school vaccine requirements.
LD 727 would go even further—eliminating vaccine requirements altogether.
We can’t let anti-vaccine activists undo our hard work to protect our families from preventable disease. There are several easy ways to take action:
Testify in person at the State House (Join us in the Burton Cross Building by 9:15 AM and bring 20 copies of your testimony), or:
Testify via Zoom during the hearing, or:
Submit written testimony through the legislature’s website.
And most importantly: Use our form to send an email to the Committee urging them to oppose these reckless bills.
Let’s show lawmakers that Maine won’t go backward when it comes to protecting public health.
Fill out our quick form and then scroll down for tools to help you write and submit testimony. You can testify on both bills at the same time. Thank you for speaking up for science and common sense!
Writing Testimony & Suggested Talking Points
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Great testimony is clear and concise. It doesn’t have to be formal; speak from the heart, be kind, and tell the truth. If you use data, cite your sources.
Start your letter with:
Testimony in OPPOSITION to LD 174 and LD 727Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs
April 7, 2025Senator Rafferty, Representative Murphy, and distinguished members of the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs,
My name is [First and Last], and I am [profession; relevant credentials; parent, grandparent, caregiver]. I’d like to express my opposition to LD 174 and LD 727.
Introduce yourself and your town, say that you are opposed to the proposed legislation, and explain why (see our suggested talking points below). If you have a personal story to share or a perspective based on your professional expertise, write about that.
There are no page limits, but we strongly recommend keeping your testimony under a page.
End by asking the Committee to vote “ought not to pass” on all the bills under consideration, and remember to say thank you for their time and care!
DO NOT include any information you do not want disclosed publicly; the text you submit will be posted on the legislature’s website.
If you’d like help with your statement, please contact us at info@mainefamiliesforvaccines.com.
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Protect Maine’s strong vaccine laws and the health of our communities.
1. Maine’s vaccine law is working.
In 2019, Maine passed one of the strongest vaccine laws in the country with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Since then, our rates of non-medical exemptions have dropped dramatically, from 6.2% in 2019 to 0.9% today. This means that more children are protected, and more schools are safer from outbreaks.
This law was passed because Mainers recognized that science, not misinformation, should guide public health policy.
2. LD 174 and LD 727 would turn back the clock.
LD 174 would reinstate non-medical (religious) exemptions—just as we've finally made progress in closing loopholes that allowed preventable disease to spread. LD 727 goes even further, seeking to remove all vaccine requirements. This would endanger children, educators, healthcare workers, and immunocompromised individuals across the state.
3. We are already seeing the consequences of rolling back public health protections.
Across the country, vaccine-preventable diseases like measles are surging again—including outbreaks in states where exemption rates are high and vaccination laws are weak.
At the same time, public health infrastructure is underfunded and stretched thin. Now is not the time to create more risk.
4. Vaccines are a shared responsibility—and they protect everyone.
Schools, daycares, and healthcare facilities rely on high vaccination rates to keep vulnerable people safe—like newborns, elderly people, and those who can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons.
Repealing vaccine requirements would shift the burden onto these vulnerable groups and the people who care for them.
5. Maine voters already spoke.
In 2020, 73% of Maine voters overwhelmingly upheld our vaccine law at the ballot box after it was challenged by referendum. That vote showed broad, bipartisan support for strong immunization policies.
These bills would undo the will of the people and put our kids’ health back up for debate.
6. The questions for lawmakers are simple:
Why would we walk back something that is working?
Why take unnecessary risks with our children’s health, our schools, and our communities—especially now?
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Select “Public Hearing.”
Select the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee.
Choose April 7, 2025.
Choose either bill: LD 174 or LD 727. The bills will be heard together.
If you plan to testify over Zoom, check that box. You will receive an email confirmation with a link to the hearing.
Paste your testimony into the box, or upload a Word document or PDF. Do not include personal information in your written testimony.
Include your contact information on the online form. This will not be published.
Click “I’m not a robot,” and “submit/register.”
Give yourself a high five for being a public health hero!
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Testimony in OPPOSITION to LD 174 and LD 727
Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs
April 7, 2025Senator Rafferty, Representative Murphy, and distinguished members of the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, My name is [Your Name], and I’m a [parent, grandparent, caregiver, professional title, other] from [Your Town]. I strongly oppose LD 174 and LD 727 because I believe our state should continue to protect children and communities from preventable diseases.
In 2019, Maine passed one of the strongest vaccine laws in the country. It was a major step forward to keep our schools and child care centers safe. Since then, our vaccination rates have gone up, and we’ve seen a big drop in families using non-medical exemptions. This is a good thing. It means more kids are protected, and fewer are at risk of serious illness.
These two bills would undo all that progress. LD 174 would bring back religious exemptions, and LD 727 would remove vaccine requirements altogether. That’s dangerous. Vaccines are not just a personal choice—they protect everyone, especially people who can’t get vaccinated because of health conditions.
As a parent, I want my child to go to school in a safe environment. I want to know that they’re sitting next to other kids who are vaccinated and that our schools are doing everything they can to prevent outbreaks. We’ve seen measles cases rise in other states, and it worries me. We shouldn’t wait until something bad happens here to act.
Public health should be based on science, not politics or misinformation. Maine voters already showed in 2020 that we support strong vaccine laws. We voted to keep the law in place. These new bills go against the will of the people and put our kids at risk.
Please don’t turn back the clock. Please keep Maine moving forward. I respectfully urge you to vote “ought not to pass” on LD 174 and LD 727.
Thank you.
[Your Name, Town]