HB0092 - School immunizations-religious objection.

 

2001

State of Wyoming

01LSO-0067

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL NO.  HB0092

 

 

School immunizations-religious objection.

 

Sponsored by:  Representative(s) McMurtrey

 

 

A BILL

 

for

 

 1  AN ACT relating to mandatory school immunizations;
 2  repealing the religious objection to immunization; and
 3  providing for an effective date.

 4 

 5  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

 6 

 7         Section 1.  W.S. 21-4-309(a) and 35-1-201 are amended
 8  to read:

 9 

10         21-4-309.  Mandatory immunizations for children
11  attending schools; exceptions.

12 

13         (a)  Any person attending, full or part time, any
14  public or private school, kindergarten through twelfth
15  grade, shall within thirty (30) days after the date of
16  school entry, provide to the appropriate school official
17  written documentary proof of immunization.  For purposes of

 

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 1  this section, documentary proof of immunization is written
 2  certification by a private licensed physician or his
 3  representative or by any public health authority, that the
 4  person is fully immunized.  Documentation shall include
 5  month, day and year of each required immunization received
 6  against vaccine preventable disease as designated by the
 7  state health authority.   No school administrator shall
 8  permit a student to attend school for more than thirty (30)
 9  calendar days without documentary proof of immunization. 
10  If immunization requires a series of immunizations over a
11  period of more than thirty (30) calendar days, the child
12  shall be permitted to attend school while receiving
13  continuing immunization if the school administrator
14  receives written notification by a private licensed
15  physician or his representative or by a public health
16  official, specifying a written schedule for necessary
17  immunization completion within the medically accepted time
18  period.  Waivers shall be authorized by the state or county
19  health officer upon submission of written evidence of
20  religious objection or medical contraindication to the
21  administration of any vaccine.  In the presence of an
22  outbreak of vaccine preventable disease as determined by
23  the state or county health authority, school children for
24  whom a waiver has been issued and who are not immunized

 

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 1  against the occurring vaccine preventable disease shall be
 2  excluded from school attendance for a period of time
 3  determined by the state or county health authority, but not
 4  suspended from school as provided in W.S. 21-4-305. 
 5  Children excluded from school attendance under this section
 6  shall not be counted in the aggregate number of pupils
 7  absent as defined in W.S. 21-13-101(a)(i).

 8 

 9         35-1-201.  Exceptions with reference to religion.

10 

11  Except as provided in W.S. 21-4-309, with respect to all
12  persons who, either on behalf of themselves or their minor
13  children or wards, rely in good faith upon spiritual means
14  or prayer in the free exercise of religion to prevent or
15  cure disease, nothing in this act shall have the effect of
16  requiring or giving any health officer or other person the
17  right to compel any such person, minor child or ward, to go
18  or be confined in a hospital, or other medical institution
19  unless no other place for quarantine of such person, minor
20  child, or ward can be secured, nor to compel any such
21  person, child, or ward to submit to any medical treatment.

22 

 

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 1         Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2001.

 2 

 3                         (END)

 

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