Immunizations.

Existing law generally prohibits the governing authority of a school or other institution from admitting for attendance any pupil who fails to obtain required immunizations within the time limits prescribed by the State Department of Public Health, except when the pupil has an exemption from this requirement. Existing law, as proposed by SB 276 of the 2019–20 Regular Session, requires the department, by January 1, 2021, to develop and make available for use by licensed physicians and surgeons an electronic, standardized, statewide medical exemption certification form that would be transmitted using the California Immunization Registry (CAIR) , and which, commencing January 1, 2021, would be the only documentation of a medical exemption that a governing authority may accept. SB 276 also specifies the information to be included in the form, including a certification under penalty of perjury that the statements and information contained in the form are true, accurate, and complete. SB 276 requires a medical exemption authorized prior to the adoption of the form to be submitted by January 1, 2021, for inclusion in a statewide database to remain valid. The bill would instead allow a child who has a medical exemption issued before January 1, 2020, to be allowed to continue enrollment until the child enrolls in the next grade span, as specified, and would prohibit, on and after July 1, 2021, a governing authority from unconditionally admitting or readmitting to these institutions, or admit or advance any pupil to 7th grade level, unless the pupil has been immunized or has a medical exemption through a procedure that includes the completion of a compliant statewide form. The bill would remove the requirement that the statewide form be signed under penalty of perjury. The bill would modify which physicians and surgeons are eligible to issue a medical exemption. This bill would make its operation contingent on the enactment of SB 276 of the 2019–20 Regular Session.