| Amended IN Senate April 22, 2015 |
| Amended IN Senate April 09, 2015 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2015–2016 REGULAR SESSION
| Senate Bill | No. 277 |
| Introduced by Senators Pan and Allen (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Gonzalez) (Coauthors: Senators Beall, Block, De León, Hall, Hertzberg, Hill, Jackson, Leno, McGuire, Mitchell, Stone, Wieckowski, and Wolk) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Baker, Chiu, Cooper, Low, McCarty, Nazarian, Rendon, Mark Stone, and Wood) |
February 19, 2015 |
An act to add Section 48980.5 to the Education Code, and to amend Sections 120325, 120335, and 120370 of, and to repeal Section 120365 of, the Health and Safety Code, relating to public health.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 277, as amended, Pan. Public health: vaccinations.
(1) Existing law prohibits the governing authority of a school or other institution from unconditionally admitting any person as a pupil of any public or private elementary or secondary school, child care center, day nursery, nursery school, family day care home, or development center, unless prior to his or her admission to that institution he or she has been fully immunized against various diseases, including measles, mumps, and pertussis, subject to any specific age criteria. Existing law authorizes an exemption from those provisions for medical reasons or because of personal beliefs, if specified forms are submitted to the governing authority. Existing law requires the governing authority of a school or other institution to require documentary proof of each entrant’s immunization status. Existing law authorizes the governing authority of a school or other institution to temporarily exclude a child from the school or institution if the authority has good cause to believe that the child has been exposed to one of those diseases, as specified.
This bill would eliminate the exemption from immunization based upon personal beliefs. This bill would except pupils in a home-based private school and students enrolled in an independent study pursuant to specified law from the prohibition described above of all of the school’s pupils are residents of the household or are members of a single family. above. The bill would narrow the authorization for temporary exclusion to make it applicable only to a child whose documentary proof of immunization status does not show proof of immunization against one of the diseases described above. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions.
(2) Existing law requires the governing board of a school district, at the beginning of the first semester or quarter of the regular school term, to make certain notifications to parents or guardians of minor pupils including, among others, specified rights and responsibilities of a parent or guardian and specified school district policies and procedures.
This bill would require the governing board of a school district to also include in the notifications provided to parents or guardians of minor pupils at the beginning of the regular school term the immunization rates for the school in which a pupil is enrolled for each required immunization. By requiring school districts to notify parents or guardians of school immunization rates, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 48980.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:48980.5.
The notification required pursuant to Section 48980 shall also include the immunization rates for the school in which a pupil is enrolled for each of the immunizations required pursuant to Section 120335 of the Health and Safety Code.SEC. 2.
Section 120325 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:120325.
In enacting this chapter, but excluding Section 120380, and in enacting Sections 120400, 120405, 120410, and 120415, it is the intent of the Legislature to provide:
(a) A means for the eventual achievement of total immunization of appropriate age groups against the following childhood diseases:
(1) Diphtheria.
(2) Hepatitis B.
(3) Haemophilus influenzae type b.
(4) Measles.
(5) Mumps.
(6) Pertussis (whooping cough).
(7) Poliomyelitis.
(8) Rubella.
(9) Tetanus.
(10) Varicella (chickenpox).
(11) Any other disease deemed appropriate by the department, taking into consideration the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
(b) That the persons required to be immunized be allowed to obtain immunizations from whatever medical source they so desire, subject only to the condition that the immunization be performed in accordance with the regulations of the department and that a record of the immunization is made in accordance with the regulations.
(c) Exemptions from immunization for medical reasons.
(d) For the keeping of adequate records of immunization so that health departments, schools, and other institutions, parents or guardians, and the persons immunized will be able to ascertain that a child is fully or only partially immunized, and so that appropriate public agencies will be able to ascertain the immunization needs of groups of children in schools or other institutions.
(e) Incentives to public health authorities to design innovative and creative programs that will promote and achieve full and timely immunization of children.
SEC. 3.
Section 120335 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:120335.
(a) As used in this chapter, “governing authority” means the governing board of each school district or the authority of each other private or public institution responsible for the operation and control of the institution or the principal or administrator of each school or institution.
(b) The governing authority shall not unconditionally admit any person as a pupil of any private or public elementary or secondary school, child care center, day nursery, nursery school, family day care home, or development center, unless, prior to his or her first admission to that institution, he or she has been fully immunized. This subdivision does not apply to a pupil in a home-based private school if all of the pupils are residents of the household or are members of a single family. or a pupil who is enrolled in an independent study pursuant to Article 5.5 (commencing with Section 51745) of Chapter 5 of Part 28 of the Education Code. The following are the diseases for which immunizations shall be documented:
(1) Diphtheria.
(2) Haemophilus influenzae type b.
(3) Measles.
(4) Mumps.
(5) Pertussis (whooping cough).
(6) Poliomyelitis.
(7) Rubella.
(8) Tetanus.
(9) Hepatitis B.
(10) Varicella (chickenpox).
(11) Any other disease deemed appropriate by the department, taking into consideration the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), full immunization against hepatitis B shall not be a condition by which the governing authority shall admit or advance any pupil to the 7th grade level of any private or public elementary or secondary school.
(d) The governing authority shall not unconditionally admit or advance any pupil to the 7th grade level of any private or public elementary or secondary school unless the pupil has been fully immunized against pertussis, including all pertussis boosters appropriate for the pupil’s age.
(e) The department may specify the immunizing agents that may be utilized and the manner in which immunizations are administered.
SEC. 4.
Section 120365 of the Health and Safety Code is repealed.SEC. 5.
Section 120370 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:120370.
(a) If the parent or guardian files with the governing authority a written statement by a licensed physician to the effect that the physical condition of the child is such, or medical circumstances relating to the child are such, that immunization is not considered safe, indicating the specific nature and probable duration of the medical condition or circumstances that contraindicate immunization, that child shall be exempt from the requirements of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 120325, but excluding Section 120380) and Sections 120400, 120405, 120410, and 120415 to the extent indicated by the physician’s statement.
(b) When there is good cause to believe that a child whose documentary proof of immunization status does not show proof of immunization against a communicable disease listed in subdivision (b) of Section 120335 has been exposed to one of those diseases, that child may be temporarily excluded from the school or institution until the local health officer is satisfied that the child is no longer at risk of developing or transmitting the disease.
