Beacon Hill lawmakers have been within the means of advancing laws Friday that will get rid of non secular vaccination exemptions for kids coming into public, personal, or constitution Okay-12 colleges.
The measure was amongst six payments the Legislature’s Public Health Committee was in line to stamp its approval on and ship to the Home for consideration throughout a stretch of time when legislators sometimes don’t take up controversial laws, in keeping with an e-mail despatched to committee members that was obtained by the Herald.
The 2 Democratic chairs of the committee, Sen. Julian Cyr of Provincetown and Rep. Marjorie Decker of Cambridge, really useful lawmakers on the panel give the measure a good report, the e-mail mentioned.
The invoice would nonetheless must clear each the Home and Senate and earn the signature of Gov. Maura Healey to turn out to be regulation. The 2-year session overlaying 2023 and 2024 ends later this month.
Rep. Andy Vargas, a Haverhill Democrat and chief sponsor of the invoice, didn’t present a remark when contacted by the Herald.
However at a July 2023 legislative listening to, Vargas mentioned there was a “rapid rise” in using non secular exemptions because the Nineteen Eighties whereas non secular affiliation has been on a “downward trend.”
“So you could say the spirit of the law is being violated,” he mentioned. “… Evidence from other states shows that removing religious exemptions increases vaccination rates without impacting school attendance.”
State regulation requires dad and mom or guardians of kids being admitted to colleges to submit a doctor’s certificates exhibiting the kid has been efficiently immunized in opposition to diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, and poliomyelitis, amongst different communicable ailments.
A toddler will be exempted from the requirement if a doctor determines their well being can be endangered by the vaccinations or a dad or mum or guardian states in writing that vaccinations or immunizations battle with their “ sincere religious beliefs,” in keeping with state regulation.
The invoice would get rid of the non secular choice.
The laws additionally requires the Division of Public Health to situation a public report annually on the entire variety of college students who’ve been immunized and college students who’ve obtained a medical exemption.
The proposal drew criticism from one state lawmaker.
Rep. Marc Lombardo, a Billerica Republican, mentioned non secular exemptions for school-aged kids are a “longstanding” choice out there to residents of Massachusetts.
“We don’t force people based on religious beliefs to have to take certain actions at the penalty of not being allowed in a K through 12 private or public institution,” he instructed the Herald. “Religious freedom is a foundation of our nation and here in Massachusetts, we’re going to trample on that because left-wing activists believe they know better than individuals when it comes to their medical situations?”
On the July 2023 listening to, Vargas mentioned his invoice is constitutional.
“The Supreme Court of the United States has already decided and reaffirmed that mandatory vaccination laws are constitutional,” he mentioned. “… Our neighboring states have removed the religious exemption. I hope we can here in Massachusetts as well.”
The Public Health Committee was additionally within the means of shifting three different payments associated to vaccines and “community immunity” and two measures overlaying a “coordinated stroke care system,” in keeping with the e-mail to committee members.
