On Tuesday, the Arizona House Education Committee, on a party line vote, passed HB 2086, which states that immunizations for COVID-19 or any variant of COVID-19 are not required for school attendance.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Joanne Osborne, also won approval on a party line vote from the House Health and Human Services Committee in January.
Peoria Unified School District parent Heather Rooks offered compelling testimony in support of the measure. Rooks explained that because one of her children has health issues that prevent him from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, it would essentially keep him out of school indefinitely.
Currently, if a child does not have a required vaccine and an outbreak occurs in a school, unvaccinated children may not return to the classroom. The current standard for what qualifies as an outbreak is just two children testing positive for a particular disease.
Rooks explained that with the current COVID-19 environment, outbreaks are very common in schools. As a result, her son would be prevented from attending school.
Osborne pointed out that COVID-19 is not a lethal childhood illness. Despite that, and the fact that two positive tests in a school would prevent an unvaccinated child from exercising their right to receive an education, all Democrats voted against the bill.
While in office, President Barack Obama called education the civil rights issue of our time.
HB2086 Provisions:
1. Repeals changes made to statute by Laws 2021, Chapter 409, Sec. 12, relating to immunizations not required for school attendance.
2. Specifies that an immunization for COVID-19 or any variant of COVID-19 is not required for school attendance.