Existing law 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. Existing law exempts from those requirements a pupil whose parents have filed with the governing authority a written statement by a licensed physician to the effect that immunization is not considered safe for that child, indicating the specific nature and probable duration of their medical condition or circumstances, including, but not limited to, family medical history. This bill would instead require the State Department of Public Health, by January 1, 2021, to develop and make available for use by licensed physicians and surgeons an electronic, standardized, statewide medical exemption request 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. The bill would specify the information to be included in the medical exemption form, including a certification under penalty of perjury that the statements and information contained in the form are true, accurate, and complete. The bill would, commencing January 1, 2021, require a physician and surgeon to inform a parent or guardian of the bill's requirements and to examine the child and submit a completed medical exemption request form to the department, as specified. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require a parent or guardian, by January 1, 2021, to submit to the department a copy of a medical exemption granted prior to that date for inclusion in a state database in order for the medical exemption to remain valid. The bill would require the department to annually review immunization reports from schools and institutions to identify schools with an overall immunization rate of less than 95%, physicians and surgeons who submitted 5 or more medical exemption forms in a calendar year, and schools and institutions that do not report immunization rates to the department. The bill would require a clinically trained department staff member who is a physician and surgeon or a registered nurse to review all medical exemption forms submitted meeting those conditions. The bill would authorize the medical exemptions determined by that staff member to be inappropriate or otherwise invalid to be reviewed by the State Public Health Officer or a physician and surgeon designated by the State Public Health Officer, and revoked by the State Public Health Officer or physician and surgeon designee, under prescribed circumstances. The bill would authorize a parent or guardian to appeal a medical exemption denial or revocation to the Secretary of California Health and Human Services. The appeal would be conducted by an independent expert review panel of licensed physicians and surgeons established by the secretary. The bill would require the independent expert review panel to evaluate appeals consistent with specified guidelines and to submit its decision to the secretary. The bill would require the secretary to adopt the determination of the independent expert review panel and promptly issue a written decision to the child's parent or guardian. The final decision of the secretary would not be subject to further administrative review. The bill would allow a child whose medical exemption revocation is appealed to continue in attendance at the school or institution without being required to commence the immunization schedule required for conditional admittance, provided that the appeal is filed within 30 calendar days of revocation of the medical exemption. The bill would require the department and the independent expert review panel to comply with all applicable state and federal privacy and confidentiality laws and would authorize disclosure of information submitted in the medical exemption form in accordance with requirements set forth in the bill. The bill would make related conforming changes. The bill would authorize the department to implement and administer the medical exemption provisions through provider bulletins, or similar instructions, without taking regulatory action. Existing law requires the governing authority of a school or other institution to file a written report on the immunization status of new entrants to the school or institution under their jurisdiction with the department and the local health department at times and on forms prescribed by the department. This bill would instead require these reports to be filed on at least an annual basis. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Sponsored bills
This measure would recognize August 15, 2019, as India's Independence Day, and urge all Californians to join in celebrating India's independence.
This measure would call for continued support and recognition of the many benefits provided by Special Olympics.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to control and regulate the use of automatic dialing-announcing devices. Existing law prohibits a person from operating an automatic dialing-announcing device except as specified. Existing law expressly provides that the use of automatic dialing-announcing devices by law enforcement agencies, fire protection agencies, public health agencies, public environmental health agencies, city or county emergency services planning agencies, or any private for-profit agency operating under contract with, and at the direction of, one or more of these agencies, for specified purposes relating to public safety and emergencies is not prohibited. This bill would expressly provide that the use of automatic dialing-announcing devices by those entities to test all modes of 911 emergency telephone systems, including basic 911 telephone services, enhanced 911 emergency telephone services, Next Generation 911 emergency communication systems, and similar 911 technologies, for data accuracy and emergency alert notification system capabilities is also not prohibited.
This measure would declare August 2019 as Valley Fever Awareness Month.
This measure would endorse activities in public schools that instruct pupils in upholding and sustaining American democracy, encourage, in the strongest terms, California schools to pursue certain recognized designations that reflect specified ethos and values, and encourage publicly elected officials to conduct themselves in ways that strengthen civic engagement and participation in civil society.
This measure would formally apologize for California's past complicity in enabling and furthering the practice of slavery and would urge the United States Congress and the President of the United States to enact House Resolution 40 to study the legacy of slavery and provide recommendations on redress for descendants of enslaved persons.
This measure would mark December 17, 2019, as the 76th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act to honor the contributions of all immigrants and refugees in our communities. The measure would also declare the opposition of the Legislature to executive orders and a presidential proclamation signed by President Trump relating to immigration, call upon the President to revoke those orders and that proclamation, condemn the expansion of deportations being undertaken under the current presidential administration, stand in firm opposition to the President's proposal for construction of a wall along the southern border with Mexico, and reaffirm that the state is open and welcoming to immigrants and refugees who are integral to life in our state.
The California Constitution allows a United States citizen who is at least 18 years of age and a resident of California to vote. This measure would reduce the minimum voting age to 17.
Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to import into the state for commercial purposes, to possess with intent to sell, or to sell within the state, the dead body, or a part or product thereof, of a polar bear, leopard, ocelot, tiger, cheetah, jaguar, sable antelope, wolf, zebra, whale, cobra, python, sea turtle, colobus monkey, kangaroo, vicuna, sea otter, free-roaming feral horse, dolphin, porpoise, Spanish lynx, or elephant. Existing law, commencing January 1, 2020, makes it a misdemeanor to import into the state for commercial purposes, to possess with intent to sell, or to sell within the state, the dead body, or a part or product thereof, of a crocodile or alligator. This bill would require manufacturers of products that use the hides of crocodiles or alligators, after consultation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, to submit to the Director of Fish and Wildlife proposals for technologies or processes that allow for the tracking or tracing of the source of origin of crocodile or alligator hides used to manufacture products sold in this state and require humane treatment of farmed crocodiles and alligators, as well as humane slaughtering techniques. The bill would require the director, on or before March 30, 2021, to approve technologies or processes that meet those requirements. This bill would make it a misdemeanor, on or after March 30, 2022, to import into this state for commercial purposes, to possess with intent to sell, or to sell within the state, the dead body, or any part or product thereof, of a crocodile or alligator unless the part or product has been tracked using the established technology or process. The bill, if the director determines that a technology or process has not been submitted that meets the requirements, would make it a misdemeanor to import into this state for commercial purposes, to possess with intent to sell, or to sell within the state, the dead body, or any part or product thereof, of a crocodile or alligator for purposes other than medical research, specialized pet food, or human consumption after January 1, 2021, or the date of the director's determination and would also make it a misdemeanor to import into this state for commercial purposes, to possess with intent to sell, or to sell within the state, the dead body, or any part or product thereof, of a crocodile or alligator for purposes of medical research, specialized pet food, or human consumption on or after January 1, 2022. By changing the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.