Fifteen organizations, including a group founded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are urging states to adopt medical freedom legislation modeled on Idaho law.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A newly formed coalition of 15 organizations is seeking to roll back vaccine and medical mandates across the United States, urging state lawmakers to adopt legislation that would prohibit businesses and schools from requiring vaccines or other medical interventions.
According to a report by The Epoch Times, the Medical Freedom Act Coalition includes Children’s Health Defense, an organization founded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., along with the Health Freedom Defense Fund, Stand for Health Freedom, and other groups aligned with the broader Make America Health Again (MAHA) movement.
Members of the coalition say their objective is for every state to introduce and pass legislation modeled after Idaho’s Medical Freedom Act, which was enacted in 2025. Leslie Manookian, founder of the Health Freedom Defense Fund, described the effort as unprecedented in scope.
“I think it’s the first time we’ve seen this kind of effort in the kind of freedom and health movement,” Manookian told The Epoch Times.
The Idaho law states that schools may not mandate a medical intervention for attendance or employment and that businesses may not deny services based on whether a person has received a medical intervention. Manookian helped draft the measure.
“Because that passed, it really showed what was possible,” Leah Wilson, executive director and co-founder of Stand for Health Freedom, said. “Our goal is to take the Medical Freedom Act to as many states as possible across the U.S.”
Michael Kane, director of advocacy for Children’s Health Defense, said, “Children’s Health Defense finds vaccine mandates and medical mandates reprehensible, and we are honored to be part of a coalition fighting to end forced medical procedures, to end medical mandates and vaccine mandates for all Americans.”
Other coalition participants include the Independent Medical Alliance, the MAHA Institute, and MAHA Action. Some of those organizations have connections to Kennedy’s policy initiatives or advisory appointments. Individuals involved in the coalition said they have communicated with Kennedy on other matters but have not discussed the coalition directly. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
During a July 23, 2025 briefing with Idaho Gov. Brad Little, Kennedy praised the state’s approach, stating, “This state, more than any state in the country, stands for not only medical freedom but a healthy population.”
Kennedy later told reporters in Tennessee that he is not directly involved in efforts to eliminate school vaccine mandates at the state level. “I believe in freedom of choice,” he said, adding that vaccination is “a personal choice that people should make with their physicians.”
Despite Idaho’s law, vaccine requirements for school and daycare attendance remain in place under separate statutes. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare said it continues to enforce those requirements while encouraging districts to consider the Medical Freedom Act when implementing policies.
Supporters have introduced additional legislation to clarify the scope of the Idaho measure. State Rep. Rob Beiswenger, a Republican who co-sponsored the original act, introduced a Medical Freedom Expansion bill. “The Expansion bill will make it abundantly clear to students and parents that vaccination is a voluntary, personal and private choice and not mandatory,” Beiswenger said.
Similar proposals have surfaced in other states. In Arizona, lawmakers introduced legislation that would bar businesses and schools from requiring a medical intervention as a condition of employment or attendance. “This bill ensures that Arizonans are not forced to choose between their bodily autonomy and their ability to work, learn, travel, or to participate in public life,” said Rep. Lisa Fink, a Republican sponsor.
Hawaii lawmakers introduced the Hawaii Medical Freedom Act, which has been referred to state House panels. Indiana senators proposed a bill that would prohibit requiring individuals “to accept, undergo, or engage in a medical intervention” as a condition of employment, benefits, or participation in public life. In New Hampshire, representatives introduced legislation to repeal certain immunization requirements for children, with hearings held earlier this month.
In contrast, some lawmakers are advocating for stronger mandates. In South Carolina, Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, a Democrat, introduced legislation that would eliminate religious exemptions for measles vaccination. “This legislation is about protecting children, protecting classrooms, and protecting communities with clear, medically grounded standards,” Matthews said.
All 50 states currently require certain vaccinations for school attendance. While every state allows medical exemptions, policies on religious and philosophical exemptions vary.
In Florida, officials indicated in 2025 that they intended to remove vaccine mandates, though legislative approval is required for some changes. The Medical Freedom Act introduced in January would expand exemptions but would not fully prohibit mandates.
The Health Freedom Defense Fund has also released model legislation designed to refine the Idaho law and provide templates for lawmakers in other states.
“I don’t think this is a partisan issue,” Manookian said. “I think that Americans in general don’t want to be forced to do something to their children.”
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