By the California State PTA Legislative Advocacy Team
California State PTA has voted to sponsor California state Assembly Bill 2651, authored by Assembly Member Mia Bonta. The bill, known as the Informed Parents, Healthy Schools Act, would help ensure families receive timely information about vaccination rates in their children’s schools. Here’s what PTA members should know.
What Does AB 2651 Do?
AB 2651 requires the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to establish immunization rate thresholds needed to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. If vaccination levels at a school fall below those thresholds, CDPH would notify the school, and the school would then notify parents or guardians of enrolled students. The bill is designed to provide parents with clear, school-specific information about vaccination coverage so they can make informed decisions about their children’s health and safety.
Why Is This Needed?
Vaccination programs are widely recognized as one of the most effective public health tools for preventing disease and protecting communities. Research estimates that vaccines have saved more than 154 million lives globally since 1974, the majority of them young children.
Schools are environments where communicable diseases can spread quickly, making high vaccination rates especially important. Maintaining these rates helps support herd immunity, which protects not only vaccinated individuals but also those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.
In recent years, vaccination coverage among kindergarten students has declined below levels needed to maintain herd immunity in many areas. At the same time, currently available data often reports immunization rates only at the county level, which can mask significant differences between individual schools or communities.
AB 2651 addresses this information gap by ensuring parents are notified when immunization rates at their child’s school fall below the thresholds recommended to achieve herd immunity.
Why Is California State PTA Supporting This Bill?
California State PTA’s support for AB 2651 is grounded in our long-standing commitment to protecting the health and safety of children and families.
In our Vaccinations position statement, California State PTA affirms that vaccinations are proven deterrents to diseases that historically have impacted large numbers of children. Protecting children through immunization also protects entire communities, including medically vulnerable individuals who cannot be vaccinated.
California State PTA has also long supported public education and awareness around immunizations. In the resolution Immunization Awareness and Educational Programs, convention delegates called on PTA to work with public health agencies and local PTA units to promote awareness of the importance of immunization and to alert parents to the potential dangers of disease outbreaks when vaccination levels fall.
AB 2651 supports these goals by improving transparency around school vaccination rates and ensuring that parents receive timely information when immunization levels fall below the levels needed to prevent the spread of disease. By providing families with school-specific information, the bill helps communities respond quickly and helps protect the health of all children.
What Can PTA Members Do?
PTA members can help raise awareness about AB 2651 by sharing information with their local PTA units, councils, and school communities.
Members can also learn more by reviewing the bill language and following advocacy updates from California State PTA. Staying informed and engaged helps ensure that the voices of families are heard in decisions that affect the health and well-being of California’s children. If you are not already subscribed, be sure to join our mailing list today and select “Advocacy & Legislation” to ensure you receive all the latest updates.