A bill that would have cut parents out of the medical decisions for their children was pulled prior to an assembly vote by Senator Scott Wiener. The bill is now officially dead.
The bill, which was short the votes needed to pass, would have authorized youths 15-years-old or older to consent to vaccines that meet special federal agency criteria. When the bill was originally introduced, the age limit was 12-years-old, however, it was later amended to a higher age limit to secure more votes.
The bill, SB 866, passed out of the California State Senate by a single vote as 21 votes are needed to pass a bill. On May 12, the senate passed the bill in a 21-8 vote with 11 no votes on record.
According to the Bill:
Senator Wiener’s Statement on Decision to Pull SB 866
Sacramento – Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) released the following statement:
“We have made the difficult decision not to call up SB 866 for a vote on the Assembly Floor. While the votes are close, we are several votes short of 41, and we don’t see a viable path for those final few votes.
“Sadly, months of harassment and misinformation – including death threats against me and teen advocates—by a small but highly vocal and organized minatory of anti-vaxxers have taken their toll. The health of young people will suffer as a result. SB 866 did nothing more than empower young people to protect their own health, even if their parents have been brain-washed by anti-vax propaganda or are abusive or neglectful. With the reemergence of polio and the continued existence of viruses like mumps, the health risks to young people – like paralysis and sterility – are real and can have profound consequences.
“From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank our coalition of students, healthcare providers, and parents who deeply understand the importance of empowering people to keep themselves healthy. In particular, our student activities continually impressed me with their passion, tenacity, and willingness to sustain personal attacks by adult anti-vaxxers who were absolutely cruel towards them and everyone else who believes in science.
“When we introduced SB 866, it was unclear if the bill would make it out of a single committee. Instead, the bill passed the full Senate and made it all the way to the Assembly floor, coming within just a few votes of passage.
“The anti-vaxxers may have prevailed in this particular fight, but the broader fight for science and health continues. The coalition isn’t going anywhere.”
