**AB-2651 (Bonta): Informed Parents, Healthy Schools Act.
AVFCA Commentary: A Voice for Choice Advocacy opposes AB 2651 as currently written due to serious concerns about student privacy, equity, and unintended discrimination. While the bill is presented as promoting transparency in school vaccination rates, it could unintentionally expose students with valid vaccine medical exemptions, disabilities, or special education needs to identification and stigmatization.
Public reporting of vaccination data, especially in small schools or specific grade levels can easily highlight a very small, identifiable group of students. AVFCA also questions the necessity of this bill since vaccination rate data is already publicly available through the California Department of Public Health.
We are calling for amendments to ensure strong privacy protections, exclusion of exempt students from reported totals, limits on CDPH authority, and safeguards to prevent misuse of sensitive data. AVFCA remains committed to working toward policies that protect both transparency and the rights and privacy of all California students.
Legislation Details
Bill Name: Informed Parents, Healthy Schools Act.
Bill Number: AB-2651
Bill Author(s): Bonta (A), Addis (A) , Ahrens (A) , Arambula (A) , Garcia (A) , Harabedian (A) , Lowenthal (A) , Ortega (A) , Michelle Rodriguez (A) , Sharp-Collins (A) , Wilson (A)
Legislative Session / Year: 2026
State: California
AVFCA Position: Oppose
Bill Synopsis: This bill would require the California Department of Public Health to establish levels of immunization rates, establish notification procedures designed to inform designated parties when an immunization rate is determined to fall below the rate established by the department and require the governing authority of a school or other institution, as defined, to notify parents or guardians of enrolled pupils when an immunization rate at that school or institution has fallen below the rate established by the CDPH.
The bill would also require the governing authority to follow the procedures established by the CDPH in distributing this notification to parents or guardians. 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.
LegInfo Bill Link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billVersionsCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2651
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Effective Date if Passed:
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BILL STATUS
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BILL STATUS
Referred to Assembly Policy Committee(s)
BILL STATUS DETAIL
05/14/26 "From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (May 14)."
04/16/26 "From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (April 15)."
04/13/26 "Re-referred to Com. on ED."
04/09/26 has been Set FOR Hearing ON 15-APR-26 1:30 p.m.
03/16/2026 Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and ED.
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