California AB 1797: Immunization Registry

This bill was approved on Sept. 27, 2022

California AB 1797 History

Date	Action	Notes
09/27/22	Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 582, Statutes of 2022
09/27/22	Approved by the Governor
09/12/22	Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
08/30/22	Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling.	I had to look these up. “Senate amendments concurred in” defined as “Approval by the house of origin to changes made to one of its bills while it was in the other house.” “To Engrossing and Enrolling” defined as “A non-partisan unit in each house, responsible for proofreading amended measures.”
08/29/22	In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
08/29/22	Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 28. Noes 8.).
08/17/22	Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.	In three instances they changed “race or ethnicity” to “race and ethnicity.” Those are the only changes I saw.
08/11/22	Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
08/11/22	From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 11).
08/02/22	In committee: Referred to suspense file. has been Set FOR Hearing ON 11-AUG-22 Upon adjournment of Session	“Also referred to the Suspense File are pilot project bills if the statewide implementation of the project or program would result in a fiscal impact of $50,000 or more in any single fiscal year from the General Fund or private funds.”
07/06/22	Set FOR Hearing ON 01-AUG-22 10 a.m.
06/30/22	From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
06/23/22	From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on ED. (Ayes 8. Noes 1.) (June 22). Re-referred to Com. on ED.
06/09/22	Action rescinded whereby the bill was referred to Com. on JUD.
06/09/22	Set FOR Hearing ON 22-JUN-22 1:30 p.m
06/09/22	Action rescinded whereby the bill was referred to Com. on JUD.
06/08/22	Referred to Coms. on HEALTH, ED. and JUD.
05/27/22	In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
05/26/22	Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 54. Noes 20.)
05/19/22	Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
05/19/22	From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 4.) (May 19).
05/11/22	In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
05/03/22	Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
05/02/22	Read second time and amended.	Looks like they changed two significant things. One the bill would stay in effect until January 1, 2026. They changed “in the event of a public health emergency” to “for the COVID-19 public health emergency…”
04/28/22	From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (April 27).
04/27/22	From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on ED. (Ayes 10. Noes 3.) (April 26). Re-referred to Com. on ED.
04/21/22	(pending re-refer to Com. on ED.)
04/21/22	Assembly Rule 56 suspended.
04/19/22	In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
03/28/22	Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
03/24/22	From committee chair, with author’s amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.
03/24/22	Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and ED.
02/08/22	From printer. May be heard in committee March 10.
02/07/22	Read first time. To print.	Introduced by Akilah (Track Everyone!) Weber

April 29, 2022

The bill is progressing…

April 4, 2022

From the Bill

This seems to me to be the important paragraph. After explaining that you can request your information is not shared and that it should remain confidential there is this paragraph:

(4) The patient or client, or the parent or guardian of the patient or client, may refuse to allow this information to be shared pursuant to this section or to receive immunization reminder notifications at any time, or both. After refusal, the patient’s or client’s physician may maintain access to this information for the purposes of patient care or protecting the public health. After refusal, the local health department and the State Department of Public Health may maintain access to this information for the purpose of protecting the public health pursuant to Sections 100325, 120140, and 120175, as well as Sections 2500 to 2643.20, inclusive, of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.[emphasis mine]

All your privacy goes out the window if it is determined the information is necessary for “protecting the public health.” Like misinformation, this all depends on what that means and who is determining what it means, i.e. who is defining it.

This same statement is again reemphasized a little farther down in the document:

(2) After refusal, the patient’s or client’s physician may maintain access to this information for the purposes of patient care or protecting the public health. After refusal, the local health department and the State Department of Public Health may maintain access to this information for the purpose of protecting the public health pursuant to Sections 100325, 120140, and 120175, as well as Sections 2500 to 2643.20, inclusive, of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.

Yes, by all means, let’s protect the public health with the future bill because California and the federal government have done such a great job of it up until this point. My confidence is overwhelming!

Earlier in the bill it lists the information that will be collected:

(1) The name of the patient or client and names of the parents or guardians of the patient or client.
(2) Date of birth of the patient or client.
(3) Types and dates of immunizations received by the patient or client.
(4) Manufacturer and lot number for each immunization received.
(5) Adverse reaction to immunizations received.
(6) Other nonmedical information necessary to establish the patient’s or client’s unique identity and record.
(7) Results of tuberculosis screening.
(8) Current address and telephone number of the patient or client and the parents or guardians of the patient or client.
(9) Patient’s or client’s gender.
(10) Patient’s or client’s place of birth.
(11) Patient’s or client’s race or ethnicity.
(12) Patient’s or client’s information needed to comply with Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 120325), but excluding Section 120380.