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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7005
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 3442
Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
Introduced by:
(KID)
AN ACT PROHIBITING THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PA RENTAL
STATEMENTS CONCERNIN G RELIGIOUS OBJECTIONS TO
VACCINATION BY SCHOO L NURSES AND PERMITT ING MEMBERS
OF THE CLERGY TO ACK NOWLEDGE SUCH STATEM ENTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10-204a of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 2
(a) Each local or regional board of education, or similar body 3
governing a nonpublic school or schools, shall require each child to be 4
protected by adequate immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, 5
tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, hemophilus 6
influenzae type B and any other vaccine required by the schedule for 7
active immunization adopted pursuant to section 19a-7f before being 8
permitted to enroll in any program operated by a public or nonpublic 9
school under its jurisdiction. Before being permitted to enter seventh 10
grade, a child shall receive a second immunization against measles. 11
Any such child who (1) presents a certificate from a physician, 12
physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse or local health 13 Raised Bill No. 7005
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agency stating that initial immunizations have been given to such child 14
and additional immunizations are in process under guidelines and 15
schedules specified by the Commissioner of Public Health; or (2) 16
presents a certificate from a physician, physician assistant or advanced 17
practice registered nurse stating that in the opinion of such physician, 18
physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse such 19
immunization is medically contraindicated because of the physical 20
condition of such child; or (3) presents a statement from the parents or 21
guardian of such child that such immunization would be contrary to 22
the religious beliefs of such child or the parents or guardian of such 23
child, which statement shall be acknowledged, in accordance with the 24
provisions of sections 1-32, 1-34 and 1-35, by (A) a judge of a court of 25
record or a family support magistrate, (B) a clerk or deputy clerk of a 26
court having a seal, (C) a town clerk, (D) a notary public, (E) a justice of 27
the peace, (F) an attorney admitted to the bar of this state, or (G) 28
[notwithstanding any provision of chapter 6, a school nurse] an 29
ordained, commissioned or licensed member of the clergy; or (4) in the 30
case of measles, mumps or rubella, presents a certificate from a 31
physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse or 32
from the director of health in such child's present or previous town of 33
residence, stating that the child has had a confirmed case of such 34
disease; or (5) in the case of hemophilus influenzae type B has passed 35
his fifth birthday; or (6) in the case of pertussis, has passed his sixth 36
birthday, shall be exempt from the appropriate provisions of this 37
section. If the parents or guardians of any child are unable to pay for 38
such immunizations, the expense of such immunizations shall, on the 39
recommendations of such board of education, be paid by the town. 40
Before being permitted to enter seventh grade, the parents or guardian 41
of any child who is exempt on religious grounds from the 42
immunization requirements of this section, pursuant to subdivision (3) 43
of this subsection, shall present to such school a statement that such 44
immunization requirements are contrary to the religious beliefs of such 45
child or the parents or guardian of such child, which statement shall be 46
acknowledged, in accordance with the provisions of sections 1-32, 1-34 47
and 1-35, by (A) a judge of a court of record or a family support 48 Raised Bill No. 7005
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magistrate, (B) a clerk or deputy clerk of a court having a seal, (C) a 49
town clerk, (D) a notary public, (E) a justice of the peace, (F) an 50
attorney admitted to the bar of this state, or (G) [notwithstanding any 51
provision of chapter 6, a school nurse] an ordained, commissioned or 52
licensed member of the clergy. 53
(b) The definitions of adequate immunization shall reflect the 54
schedule for active immunization adopted pursuant to section 19a-7f 55
and be established by regulation adopted in accordance with the 56
provisions of chapter 54 by the Commissioner of Public Health, who 57
shall also be responsible for providing procedures under which said 58
boards and said similar governing bodies shall collect and report 59
immunization data on each child to the Department of Public Health 60
for compilation and analysis by said department. 61
(c) The Commissioner of Public Health may issue a temporary 62
waiver to the schedule for active immunization for any vaccine if the 63
National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes a 64
nation-wide shortage of supply for such vaccine. 65
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2019 10-204a
Statement of Purpose:
To permit ordained, commissioned and licensed members of the clergy
to acknowledge parental statements concerning religious objections to
vaccinations required for enrollment in public and nonpublic schools
under the jurisdiction of local and regional boards of education, and to
prohibit school nurses from acknowledging such statements.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
not underlined.]