House Bill 5291

Sponsor: Rep. Paul DeWeese

House Bill 5292

Sponsor: Rep. Gerald Law

House Bill 5293

Sponsor: Rep. Jason Allen

Committee: Health Policy

Complete to 2-9-00

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILLS 5291-5293 AS INTRODUCED 2-3-00

The bills would amend various acts to, among other things, require the immunization status of students entering the sixth grade to be included in immunization status reports for new students currently reported by school districts and intermediate districts. The bills are tie-barred to each other. Specifically, the bills would do the following:

House Bill 5291 would amend the State School Aid Act of 1979 (MCL 388.1767). Currently, each school district or intermediate district must report twice each school year to its local health department the immunization status of new K-12 students and the percentage of the entering students who do not have a completed, waived, or provisional immunization record. Unless the district or intermediate district maintains immunization levels at a prescribed percentage (90 percent of entering students for the first report due on November 1 of each year and 95 percent for the second report due on the following February 1), the Department of Education is required to withhold five percent of the total funds due to the school district or intermediate district until compliance is established. If the school district or intermediate district does not comply before the end of the fiscal year, it forfeits the funds withheld.

The bill would specify that beginning in the 2002-2003 school year, immunization information would also be reported for students enrolling in grade six in a district or intermediate district for the first time. Beginning in the 2005-2006 school year, in order to be in compliance to receive full funding, a school district or intermediate district would have to maintain the same immunization percentages for new sixth graders as for the total of entering students in grades K-12.

House Bill 5292 would amend the Public Health Code (MCL 333.9209 et al.) to require a parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis to present either a completed immunization status screening summary form and any appropriate certificates of immunization received (or a statement of exemption) when enrolling a child into the sixth grade. The immunization information would

have to be presented either at the time of registration or no later than the first day of school. An immunization status screening would have to include at least the immunization status for hepatitis B; tetanus; diphtheria; mumps, measles, and Rubella; varicella; and other immunization information as required by departmental rule. The immunization status of entering sixth graders would have to be included in the November 1 report that is currently required to be sent to the Department of Community Health and local health departments that reports on the immunization status of entering kindergartners and first graders. Finally, the Department of Community Health would have to include the minimum level of immunization for the diseases assessed under the bill in its departmental rules.

House Bill 5293 would amend the Revised School Code (MCL 380.1177). Currently, for each child enrolling in a public or nonpublic school for the first time, the code requires the submission of documents verifying the immunization status of the child, that the child has not been immunized due to religious beliefs or other objections, or that the child is in the process of complying with immunization requirements. The bill would specify that this provision would also apply to children enrolling in grade six for the first time.

The bill would also specify that the immunization status of students enrolling in grade six in a school for the first time would have to be included in the November 1 report sent by the school to the Department of Community Health. Further, the bill would clarify that a provision requiring the documentation of an eye examination for a child between the age of three and initial entrance to school pertains to a child enrolling in kindergarten for the first time.

Analyst: S. Stutzky

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.