DENVER — The Colorado House of Representatives approved a bill early Wednesday morning that is aimed at increasing vaccination rates among children, a release from the bill's sponsor said.
House Bill 19-1312 was approved in a voice vote and a recorded vote will be taken at a later date, the release said.
If given final approval, HB19-1312 would require the state health department to create a standardized and state-issued form and submission process for parents who claim a medical or religious exemption to vaccinations.
Here's a list of changes the bill would require.
- Creates a standardized exemption form and requires all exemptions be submitted to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) or the local public health agency. Non-medical exemptions must be submitted in person to the CDPHE or local health agency; subsequent renewals can be submitted in person or online.
- Directs CDPHE to include immunization exemption information in its annual presentation to the General Assembly.
- Directs CDPHE to develop educational materials for health agencies and schools addressing the medical benefits of immunizations.
- Gives the Board of Health authority to determine school-required immunizations, based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While the proposed legislation would not change the exemptions themselves, the bill’s sponsors hope the more formalized process would push more parents to immunize their children.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccination rates for Colorado kindergarteners ranks 49th out of the 49 states that report data. During the 2017-2018 school year, the CDC says 88.7% of Colorado kindergarteners received the MMR vaccine (for measles, mumps and rubella) compared to the national median of 94.3%.
Colorado rates were also lower than other states for the DTap and Varicella vaccines.
According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), the state already requires students to be vaccinated against certain diseases unless they have a medical, religious or personal belief exemption on file.
CDPHE says medical exemptions currently require a signature from a medical doctor, doctor of osteopathic medicine, advance practice nurse or delegated physician’s assistant on a state-issued form. They only need to be submitted once, unless the student’s information or school changes.
Currently, religious and personal belief exemptions for students in kindergarten and older require a statement of exemption annually from the child’s parent or guardian, according to CDPHE. The state says parents can use a state-issued form, or file their own statement of exemption with the school.
The bill is on the House schedule for its third and final reading Thursday.
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