by Sayer Ji, Green Med Info:
Following closely on the heels of the loss of the religious exemption for vaccination in CA and NY, a new bill in Florida was just introduced which would do the same, while at the same time interfering with the doctor/patient relationship when it comes to obtaining medical exemptions.
A new Florida Senate bill sponsored by Democrat Lauren Book titled, SB 64: Exemptions from School-entry Health Requirements, would remove religious exemptions for vaccinations for school entry in the state of Florida, and interefere with the doctor/patient relationship by requiring a State overseen medical exemption review panel to determine the validity of medical exemptions for vaccination.
The Florida Senate website summarizes the bill as follows:
“Exemptions from School-entry Health Requirements; Deleting exemptions from school-entry health examinations and immunization requirements for religious reasons; requiring the Board of Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine to jointly create a medical exemption review panel, etc.”
In essence, SB 64 is architected to reproduce newly legislated medical system in California, where children no longer have the right go to school unless they are fully compliant with the the vaccination schedule.
The bill also calls for “requiring the Board of Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine to jointly create a medical exemption review panel.”
The bill has generated an immediate response from leading health freedom organization, the National Vaccine Information Center, which released the following statement and call to action:
“Dear Florida NVIC Advocacy Team Members,
There is a new dangerous threat to vaccine exemptions in Florida.
SB 64 was filed by Senator Lauren Book on 8/2/2019.
SB 64 would eliminate the religious exemption to vaccines required for public and private school children. It would also add a new section of law requiring the Board of Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine to jointly create a medical exemption review panel that shall review all medical exemptions. If passed, the new law would become effective on July 1, 2020.
We have seen what happens to families in California and New York where religious exemptions have been removed and medical exemptions are reviewed and restricted. SB 64 is a dangerous bill that needs to be stopped early so Florida doesn’t become like California or New York.
The 2020 legislative session in Florida convenes on 1/14/2020, however bills are filed in advance (session dates). It is very important that families who support the religious and medical exemptions get out ahead of Senator Book’s effort and talk to their legislators and like-minded families to get involved now! Those who are currently in office during this interim period will be the same legislators who will vote on this bill this spring as statewide legislative offices are not on the ballot this fall.
ACTION REQUIRED:
In 2015, SB 646, a bill that would have severely restricted exemptions was prefiled in Florida. However, the bill was withdrawn with the help of Florida NVIC Advocacy Members and other Florida citizens who expressed their concerns early and in large numbers. You can view our early action alerts on this 2015 bill in the archives on the NVIC Advocacy Portal Florida page.
Let’s all commit to working to hopefully attain the same results for 2020! Sitting on the sidelines waiting won’t cut it.
IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/64/BillText/Filed/PDF – text of SB 64 as introduced.
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/64 – text, status and history for SB 64
Sincerely,
NVIC Advocacy Team
National Vaccine Information Center
https://NVIC.org and https://NVICAdvocacy.org
https://nvicadvocacy.org/members/Members/ContactUs.aspx
The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) works diligently to prepare and disseminate our legislative advocacy action alerts and supporting materials. We request that organizations and members of the public forward our alerts in their original form to assure consistent and accurate messaging and effective action. Please acknowledge NVIC as originators of this work when forwarding to members of the public and like-minded organizations. To receive alerts immediately, register at https://NVICAdvocacy.org, a website dedicated to this sole purpose and provided as a free public service by NVIC.
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