AB 2109 – What Does It Do?
November 2012
AB 2109 (as amended Aug. 20, 2012) by Richard Pan, MD was signed into law Sept. 30th this year (2012) but does not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2014. AB 2109 added a new additional requirement for a parent to exempt their child from one or more vaccinations required for school entry, based on a "personal beliefs waiver". Beginning Jan. 1, 2014, parents choosing the “personal beliefs waiver” must also obtain the signature of a doctor or other specified health care practitioner, stating that the doctor has provided the parent with information about the benefits and risks of vaccinations and specified communicable diseases.
Sadly, under this bill, even after meeting with your doctor and receiving the information they are required to give, there is no guarantee that you will obtain the necessary signature.
After many long days and months of hard work opposing this bill, its passage was a very disappointing defeat. We would like to thank those who tirelessly made calls and wrote letters against this bill. We also thank the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) who led the battle opposing AB 2109 and other organizations that actively opposed it.
Parents will wisely want to also do their own research on each required vaccine before agreeing to have their children receive any particular vaccine.
Between now and 2014, we will be researching and providing information and resources to help parents be informed about the issues of vaccines, especially in regards to the personal beliefs waiver for school entrance. We will be watching for the issuance of the new regulations and any new forms required by AB 2109. After they are issued, we hope to have this information ready for your use by the Fall of next year (2013), well before this new law takes effect.
If you have any further legal or administrative questions about this new law, please contact the Home School Legal Defense Association as a member.
For more details on AB 2109, which was regretfully signed into law, see http://pheofca.org/AB2109-update10112.html.
This document is available at www.pheofca.org for your use personally or for distribution.
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