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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

95

Introduced by Assembly Member Bonta

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis, Ahrens, Arambula, Garcia, Harabedian, Lowenthal, Ortega, Michelle Rodriguez, Sharp-Collins, and Wilson)

February 20, 2026

An act to add Sections 120141 and 120141.1 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to immunizations.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: yes

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health, headed by the State Public Health Officer, and sets forth its powers and duties, including the administration of provisions relating to the prevention and control of communicable diseases. Existing law authorizes the department to take necessary measures to ascertain the nature and prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Existing law prohibits the governing authority of a school or other institution from unconditionally admitting or advancing to the 7th grade level any person as a pupil of any public or private elementary or secondary school, childcare center, day nursery, nursery school, family daycare home, or development center, unless, prior to their admission or advancement to that institution, they have been fully immunized against various communicable diseases, as provided, subject to any specific age criteria. Existing law requires the governing authority of a school or other institution, on at least an annual basis, to file a written report on the immunization status of new entrants to the school or institution under their jurisdiction with the department and the local health department at times and on forms prescribed by the department.

This bill, the Informed Parents, Healthy Schools Act, would require the department to establish, and update as needed, levels of immunization rates needed to prevent the spread of specified communicable diseases. The bill would require the department to establish notification procedures designed to annually inform designated parties parties, including schools, daycare centers, and county departments of public health, when an immunization rate is determined to fall below the rate established by the department, among other things. The bill would require that the notification be translated into any language, in addition to English, that is spoken by 15% or more of enrolled children. The bill would require the department to apply existing data de-identification standards and methodologies to protect individual privacy, consistent with applicable state and federal law, in implementing these provisions.

The bill would require a school or other institution, as specified, defined, to notify distribute the above-described notification to parents or guardians of enrolled children, children within 10 business days of receiving the notice notification from the department, when an immunization rate at that school or institution has fallen below the rate established by the department. department. The bill would require the school or institution to follow the procedures established by the department in distributing this notification to parents or guardians. authorize the school or institution to determine the manner of distribution for the notification, consistent with specified requirements. The bill would require the governing authority of the school or institution to cooperate with the department in carrying out these provisions.

By requiring school districts to comply with these requirements, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Informed Parents, Healthy Schools Act.

SEC. 2.

Section 120141 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

120141.

(a) The State Department of Public Health shall establish, and update as needed, the immunization rate necessary to prevent the spread of each communicable disease listed in subdivision (b) of Section 120335.

(b) The department shall establish notification procedures to annually inform a private or public elementary or secondary school, childcare center, day nursery, nursery school, family day care home, or development center, and the county public health department and the local health officer, as appointed pursuant to Section 101000, when, at that school or institution, an immunization rate for one or more vaccines against one or more diseases listed in subdivision (b) of Section 120335 is determined to fall below the relevant immunization rate established by the department pursuant to subdivision (a) of this section. The notification shall be written by the department, and shall be subject to all of the following requirements:

(1) The notification shall be distributed in the same school year that the determination described in this subdivision is made.

(2) The notification shall include all of the following:

(A) The immunization rate established by the department pursuant to subdivision (a) for each vaccine against each disease listed under subdivision (b) of Section 120335 for both the current and prior school years. vaccine.

(B) For each vaccine against each disease the diseases listed in subdivision (b) of Section 120335, the immunization rate at the school or institution where the immunization rate is determined to have fallen below the immunization rate established by the department. department for both the current and prior school years. Immunization rates for each vaccine shall be listed by the grade level included in the calculation, and include the approximate period of time that the immunization rate applies to.

(C) A statement that no immunization changes are legally required if the immunization rate at the school or institution would be at or above the immunization rate established by the department pursuant to subdivision (a) were the immunization rates of children with exemptions excluded from the immunization-rate calculation. children with permanent or temporary medical exemptions, children enrolled in independent study programs who do not receive classroom-based instruction, and children who have been conditionally admitted to the school or institution are not included in the immunization rate calculation.

(D) Evidence-based explanations regarding the importance of maintaining immunization rates at levels sufficient to prevent disease transmission, and the increased risk of outbreaks and spreading of communicable diseases when immunization rates fall below these levels.

(E) Information, developed or approved by the department, regarding accessible locations where children and their families can obtain the immunizations required pursuant to Section 120335, including, but not limited to, contact information for the local health department and internet websites that provide immunization location information.

(F) A link or quick response (QR) code to the “Shots for School” webpage maintained by the department or a successor webpage, and any additional webpages that contain immunization resources for parents and guardians.

(3) The notification shall be translated into any language, in addition to English, that is spoken by 15 percent or more of enrolled children.

(c) In implementing this section, the department shall apply existing data de-identification standards and methodologies to protect individual privacy, including, but not limited to, when reporting immunization rates for a school or institution with low enrollment could reasonably risk the identification of an individual child. Action taken by the department pursuant to this section shall be consistent with applicable state and federal privacy laws.

(d) For purposes of this section, a child has an exemption, and is excluded from the immunization-rate calculation, calculation if the child meets one of the following criteria:

(1) The child has a permanent or temporary medical exemption under Section 120370 or 120372.

(2) The child has been conditionally admitted to the school or institution pursuant to Section 120340.

SEC. 3.

Section 120141.1 is added to the Health and Safety Code, immediately following Section 120141, to read:

120141.1.

(a) When a school or institution receives notice a notification from the State Department of Public Health department under Section 120141, the school or institution shall, within 10 business days of receiving notice, that notification, distribute that notification to the parents or guardians of enrolled children a notification in the manner prescribed by the department pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 120141. in a manner determined by the school or institution.

(b) The governing authority of a school or institution described in subdivision (a) shall cooperate with the department in carrying out the requirements of this section.

SEC. 4.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.