Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Despite Last-Minute Changes, Senate Bill Deals Big Blow to Renewable Energy

23 hours ago

Trump-Backed Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Passes US Senate

1 day ago

Homeland Security Secretary Noem Says CNN May Be Prosecuted Over Report on Migration App

1 day ago

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

1 day ago

Trump Escalates Feud With Musk, Threatens Tesla, SpaceX Support

1 day ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

2 days ago

Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?

2 days ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

2 days ago
Assembly Panel Advances Bill on Vaccination Exemptions
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
June 20, 2019

Share

SACRAMENTO — A California Assembly committee on Thursday advanced a bill to tighten the state’s rules on vaccination exemptions, but there remains disagreement about the measure among Assembly Democrats.
Some members of the Assembly Health Committee say the bill will help protect children amid a surge in measles cases in the United States. Sen. Richard Pan, the bill’s author, says California can’t allow “a handful of unscrupulous physicians to put our children in danger.”
Assemblywoman Autumn Burke said she thinks the bill takes away choices for families. She did not support it.
Hundreds filed through the committee hearing at the state Capitol to speak against the legislation. The bill would require that state public health officials review exemptions granted by doctors who issue more than five a year.

The hearing comes just days after the bill’s author announced major changes designed to win support from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The hearing comes just days after Pan announced major changes designed to win support from Gov. Gavin Newsom. The Democratic governor was concerned with requiring state health officials to sign off on every exemption, as the measure had initially required.
Now, the public health department would only scrutinize doctors who grant more than five medical exemptions in a year and schools with vaccination rates of less than 95%.
“I support Senate Bill 276 because I believe that it will keep our children healthy and protect them from public health risks,” said Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula of Fresno. “I appreciate the amendments that Sen. Pan, a pediatrician and the bill’s author, has made.
“As a medical professional myself, I believe the amended bill protects the privacy between a patient and physician while, at the same time, scrutinizes doctors who are excessively writing medical exemptions that could potentially endanger the public’s health.”

Newsom Says He Would Sign the Bill

Officials say that threshold is needed to provide “community immunity,” which protects those who haven’t been vaccinated for medical reasons or because they are too young.
The measure, which Newsom said he will sign if it reaches his desk, comes as measles cases have reached a 25-year high in the U.S. Lawmakers in other states also have been considering changes to confront the increase.
Maine eliminated religious and philosophical exemptions, while New York lawmakers ended a religious exemption. Washington state halted most exemptions for the measles vaccine, though legislators in Oregon defeated a measure that would have made it harder for families to opt out.
The California legislation is aimed at stopping some doctors from selling immunization exemptions, which supporters of the bill said has become a growing problem since the state ended non-medical exemptions in 2016.
New figures show the rate of kindergartners with permanent medical exemptions has quadrupled since California banned personal exemptions, and more than 100 schools have medical exemption rates exceeding 10%.

Doctors Couldn’t Charge for Exemptions

Among provisions in the revised California legislation:

  • Doctors can’t charge for filling out a medical exemption form or conducting a related medical examination. They would have to sign the forms under penalty of perjury.
  • California Department of Public Health doctors or registered nurses would review exemptions issued by local medical providers who issue five or more a year or at schools with high exemption rates.
  • The state public health officer, who is a doctor, could revoke any that don’t meet national guidelines.
  • Parents could appeal to an independent panel of doctors.
  • Officials could consider families’ medical histories in allowing exemptions in addition to immunization guidelines issued by federal medical authorities.

Supporters said the legislation would permit exemptions for the less than 1% of students who should avoid vaccinations because they would have a severe allergic reaction or have impaired immunity from a liver problem, HIV, chemotherapy, or other conditions.
 

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Four Rescued After Kings River Float Turns Dangerous

DON'T MISS

Hamas Says It Is Studying Ceasefire Proposal Labelled ‘Final’ by Trump

DON'T MISS

Wall Street Edges Down After ADP Shock. Focus on Trade Talks, Payrolls Data

DON'T MISS

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Convicted on Prostitution Counts, but Cleared of More Serious Charges

DON'T MISS

Trump Pulls Back 150 Guard Troops From Federal Duties in California

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Israel Has Agreed to Conditions to Finalize 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Man Arrested for Suspected Arson Hours After Separate Wildfire

DON'T MISS

New California Environmental Rollbacks Could Boost Housing Projects in Fresno

DON'T MISS

Iran Made Preparations to Mine the Strait of Hormuz, US Sources Say

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified’s Embattled Nikki Henry Exits. ‘I Own My Mistake. I Won’t Let It Own Me.’

UP NEXT

California Republicans Send Message to Trump: Deport Criminals, Not Our Vital Workers

UP NEXT

CA Rolls Back Its Landmark Environmental Law to Speed Housing Construction

UP NEXT

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

UP NEXT

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

UP NEXT

Buying a Home With Solar? Beware of CA Bill Written by Former Utility Co. Exec

UP NEXT

Trump Administration Sues Los Angeles Over Immigration Enforcement

UP NEXT

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

UP NEXT

Immigration Raids Leave Crops Unharvested, California Farms at Risk

UP NEXT

CA’s Population Shrank in Trump’s First Immigration Crackdown. It Could Happen Again

UP NEXT

Controversial Climate Rule That Could Raise Gas Prices About to Take Effect

Paramount Settles With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Interview for $16 Million

20 minutes ago

Republicans Tee up House Vote on Trump Bill, Outcome Uncertain

27 minutes ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

33 minutes ago

Dalai Lama Says He Will Be Reincarnated, Trust Will Identify Successor

55 minutes ago

Fresno Police to Hold DUI Checkpoint on Independence Day

1 hour ago

The Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Story: From Recording Studio to Criminal Trial

1 hour ago

Four Rescued After Kings River Float Turns Dangerous

1 hour ago

Hamas Says It Is Studying Ceasefire Proposal Labelled ‘Final’ by Trump

2 hours ago

Wall Street Edges Down After ADP Shock. Focus on Trade Talks, Payrolls Data

2 hours ago

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Convicted on Prostitution Counts, but Cleared of More Serious Charges

2 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Logan Ryan Martin

July 2, 2025 Most Wanted Person of the Day Suspect Name: Logan Ryan Martin Suspects Date of Birth: November 25, 2002 Physical Description: W...

12 minutes ago

Logan Ryan Martin is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for July 2, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
12 minutes ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Logan Ryan Martin

A new Marist Poll finds that most Americans believe national divisiveness and politically motivated violence pose serious threats to U.S. democracy. (Shutterstock)
16 minutes ago

Poll: Most Americans Say National Divide, Political Violence Threaten Democracy

A logo of mobile application Instagram is seen on a mobile phone, during a conference in Mumbai, India, September 20, 2023. (Reuters File)
17 minutes ago

Meta’s Instagram Down for Thousands of Users in US, Downdetector Shows

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Democratic Republic of the Congo's Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwanda's Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington D.C., June 27, 2025. (Reuters File)
20 minutes ago

Paramount Settles With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Interview for $16 Million

The U.S. Capitol building is seen as a thunderstorm rolls through Washington, D.C., U.S., July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz)
27 minutes ago

Republicans Tee up House Vote on Trump Bill, Outcome Uncertain

Defense lawyers comfort Sean "Diddy" Combs while discussing how to handle a note sent by jurors that they had reached a verdict on four of the five counts against him, during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New York, U.S., July 1, 2025, in this courtroom sketch. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
33 minutes ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

Dalai Lama blesses actor Richard Gere in Dharamsala, India June 30, 2025, in this screen grab from a video. Reuters TV/via REUTERS.
55 minutes ago

Dalai Lama Says He Will Be Reincarnated, Trust Will Identify Successor

1 hour ago

Fresno Police to Hold DUI Checkpoint on Independence Day

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend