Strict vaccine legislation in California progresses to one of the toughest in the nation
California is on the verge of enacting one of the strictest vaccine laws in the country, with the aim of ensuring public safety. The bill, SB-277, was recently approved by a legislative committee and seeks to repeal the state's current "personal belief exemption" and religious exemptions for vaccination.
The law, if passed, would allow only vaccinated children to attend public and private schools in California. This is a significant shift in school attendance policies, as children without required vaccinations or valid medical exemptions would be barred from enrollment.
Opponents argue that the bill violates parents' rights and is an unnecessary government overreach. However, the law is seen as a valid exercise of state police powers to protect public health by controlling communicable diseases. California is one of the states with strict vaccine laws, allowing only medical exemptions; it does not permit personal belief or religious exemptions anymore.
The implications on school attendance are significant. Children must be vaccinated to attend K-12 public or private schools, unless they have a medically valid exemption, such as a pre-existing medical condition that contraindicates vaccination. This can include initial immunizations as well as booster shots, potentially totaling up to 17 vaccinations by the end of schooling.
Legally, challenges to SB-277 on religious and constitutional grounds have been unsuccessful so far. Courts and state prosecutors affirm that the law is a valid exercise of state police powers to protect public health by controlling communicable diseases, and that it does not unfairly target religious beliefs compared to secular exemptions allowed by the state.
California's approach is among the strongest in the US in terms of restricting exemptions to only medical reasons. Mississippi and West Virginia are the only states that do not allow any nonmedical exemptions to vaccination requirements for school entry.
The bill's author states that the bill is necessary to ensure public safety. If passed, California schools would reach a level of vaccination needed for "herd immunity". The bill could potentially provide gig workers, such as drivers for ridesharing companies, with a guaranteed minimum, though specific details about this are not yet available.
The California Supreme Court has provided guidance on how to decide whether an employee is under the administrative employee exemption from overtime. However, the article does not mention any connection between the topics of vaccine laws and gig economy workers.
The bill was voted on by the legislative committee, with a majority voting YES: Bonilla, Bonta, Chiu, Gomez, Gonzalez, Roger Hernández, Nazarian, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Santiago, Thurmond, Wood. The vote was NO: Chávez, Lackey, Maienschein, Patterson, Steinorth, Waldron. DIDN'T VOTE: Burke.
The bill, if passed, would mark a significant step towards ensuring public health and safety in California schools. The case in question, Harris v The Superior Court of Los Angeles County, decided on December 29, 2011, serves as a precedent for the validity of such laws.
- The California legislature's proposed SB-277, aiming to eliminate personal belief and religious exemptions for vaccination, aligns with the policy-and-legislation sector, as it targets health-and-wellness by implementing stricter vaccination requirements for school attendance.
- The passage of SB-277 could lead to a shift in the general-news landscape, as the bill's impact on school attendance policies might spark debates around politics and parental rights, particularly concerning the role of government in regulating health matters.
