AB 659 would require 8-12 CA Grade School Children
to be vaccinated for Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Background: A Voice for Choice Advocacy has sounded the warning for the past eight years when “Bad Bills” have been introduced. While the hope was that this year would be a 100% positive year, yesterday AB 659 (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB659) was introduced, by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry, and co-authored Assembly Members Wendy Carrillo, Friedman, Kalra, Ortega, Papan, and Blanca Rubio and Senator Wiener. AB 659 will require the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to attend 8-12 grade in public or private school, starting January 1 2024. Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry has been threatening to introduce this bill for the past few years. Last year, she was going to move the bill forward but changed it at the last minute due to pressure in part from AVFCA to be an insurance related bill (which was vetoed).
Take Action: 1) Make an appointment TODAY to meet with your CA Assembly Member and their staff to discuss AB 659.
– Not sure who that is, enter your address here: https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/ (Note: No need to contact your Senator yet)
– Not sure how to set up a meeting and build a trusted relationship with your legislators, watch this webinar: https://youtu.be/NGwnwAcJJZ4. Be sure to mention you are a constituent.
2) Make an appointment TODAY to meet with your Religous Leaders and individual School Board Members to discuss AB 659 and ask them to oppose the bill.
Not sure what to say: Through our partnership with Stand For Health Freedom, A Voice for Choice Advocacy is talking to leaders in other states that have had HPV vaccine mandate bills introduced. AVFCA will email a summary of talking points early next week, for you to take to use for your Assembly Member meeting, but the key one will be that this is a sexually transmitted disease and the vaccine should not be a requirement to attend school.
Over the past 8 years, A Voice for Choice Advocacy has established itself as the leading legislative organization lobbying in the California Capitol for your health rights. While A Voice for Choice Advocacy’s lobbying activity in the Capitol is important, your positive constituent relationships with your CA State Senator and Assembly Member and their staff are critical to assisting with A Voice for Choice Advocacy’s efforts in the Capitol.
Knowing how to create a trusted, professional relationship with your legislator is not always easy, and it can be hard to know where to start. Christina, who during 2015, spent ever Monday thru Wednesday in Sacramento lobbying alongside our seasoned lobbyist, learning the tricks of the trade, and since then has had hundreds of legislative meetings, has shared her knowledge in this video, so you can be as effective as possible.
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Together we can make change happen!