Oppose California Legislation That Risks Targeting Students Based on Vaccine Status!

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California lawmakers are considering legislation that would require schools to publicly report and notify parents of vaccination rates within their school communities, including data broken down by grade level.

AB 2651 is being presented as a transparency measure, but in practice, it risks exposing and isolating the small number of students who are not fully vaccinated — many of whom have valid medical exemptions.

The bill also grants the California Department of Public Health expanded authority to define what constitutes acceptable levels of immunity, further centralizing control over vaccine policy and thresholds without direct legislative oversight.

Because access to school without full vaccination is already extremely limited in California, publishing detailed school and grade-level vaccination data makes it easier to infer which students have exemptions.

AB 2651 has been referred to the Assembly Health and Education Committees.

Please act TODAY.

TAKE ACTION

1. Contact your Assemblymember and ask him/her to OPPOSE AB 2651.

You can find out who represents you at: http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov

2. Submit a letter to the Assembly Health Committee and Assembly Education Committee urging them to OPPOSE AB 2651.

Submit your letter here:
 https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates/faces/index.xhtml

Phone calls and formal position letters are both highly effective.

SAMPLE SCRIPT

“Hello, my name is ___ and I’m a constituent. I’m calling to urge Assemblymember____ to OPPOSE AB 2651.

While this bill is presented as a transparency measure, it risks identifying and isolating students with valid medical exemptions by publishing vaccination rates at the school and grade level.

This creates a real risk of stigma, pressure, and discrimination against families — particularly those with medically vulnerable children.

The bill also expands the authority of the Department of Public Health to define immunity thresholds without clear legislative oversight.

Student privacy and medical confidentiality must be protected.

Please vote NO on AB 2651.

Thank you.”

TALKING POINTS

1. This bill risks identifying individual students. In a system with very few exemptions, publishing school and grade-level vaccination rates can make it easy to infer which students are not fully vaccinated.

2. Students with medical exemptions may be targeted. Children with legitimate medical conditions could face stigma, pressure, or harassment as a result of being indirectly identified.

3. Small class sizes amplify the problem. At grade levels like kindergarten or 7th grade, even one or two exempt students can significantly shift percentages and effectively reveal their status.

4. Vulnerable populations may be disproportionately affected. Students with IEPs, chronic health conditions, foster youth, and military families with temporary exemptions may face increased scrutiny.

5. This creates a chilling effect on medical privacy. Families may feel pressured to disclose private health information or avoid seeking lawful exemptions due to fear of being singled out.

6. The bill duplicates existing data without adding value. Vaccination rates are already publicly available through the state. This proposal unnecessarily redistributes the data in a way that increases risk to individuals.

7. Expanding CDPH authority raises accountability concerns. Allowing a state agency to define acceptable immunity thresholds without legislative oversight could lead to shifting standards and reduced transparency.

8. Public health should not come at the expense of individual dignity. Policies that isolate or stigmatize small groups of students undermine trust and create division within school communities.

MORE INFORMATION

AB 2651 — Bill text and status:
 https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2651

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