Dan Goldberg is reporting for Politico New York a religious exemption for vaccines is gaining momentum in Albany. A bill to standardize New York’s religious exemption law has 37 sponsors in the Assembly and 14 more in the Senate, and is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Education Committee May 31. If signed into law, obtaining a religious exemption would require little more than the child’s name and the guardian's signature on a standard form. Parents or guardians would not have to identify their religion or explain why their interpretation disallows vaccinating children. Public health officials are concerned the legislation would make it too easy for parents with a philosophical, not religious, objection to vaccines. The bill is not likely to pass this year because Assembly member Cathy Nolan, chair of the chamber's education committee, is opposed to it. She said she has reservations about the measure, and has shown no inclination to allow it out of her committee. New York requires children to receive seven vaccines before entering school unless they have an exemption. Currently, a religious exemption requires a written statement and, in some cases, supporting documents. Read the full story at Politico New York.