A bill in the Minnesota House of Representatives would, if it became law, allow child care centers and providers to deny children whose parents or guardians “conscientiously” object to vaccination in principle.
Rep. Mike Freiberg of Golden Valley introduced HF 3179 on the House floor last Monday. This Tuesday Rep. John Huot of Rosemount was added as a co-author, and the bill has been referred to the Early Childhood Committee.
The bill proposes to amend the Minnesota Statutes, which outline various provisions on child exemptions from various vaccines in section 121A.15. A new proposed subdivision adds the following provision:
“A [licensed] child care center … and a [licensed] family child care provider … may adopt a policy prohibiting a child over the age of two months who has not been immunized … from enrolling or remaining enrolled in the child care center or the family child care program.”
HF 3179 thus allows any licensed child care center or provider to reject a “notarized statement signed by the minor child’s parent or guardian … because of the conscientiously held beliefs [against vaccination] of the parent or guardian of the minor child or of the emancipated person.”
In other words, children with a non-medical exemption from certain vaccines can be denied child care enrollment.
An interesting wrinkle to this piece of legislation, according to an Epoch Times report, is that it would legalize a widespread practice that is technically illegal in the state of Minnesota.
“We actually have a pretty interesting daycare issue happening … for years and years, counties have been advising daycare providers that they don’t have to uphold the state law,” Melissa Schultz, spokeswoman for Minnesotans for Health & Parental Rights, told The Epoch Times. “So for years, they have been excluding children. It’s very hard to be unvaccinated and find a daycare in the state.”
“Now just this week, a legislator has actually written a bill in order to exclude children from daycare. By writing that, it admits that what they’re doing right now or [has] happened for the past six years is illegal because if it was legal, they would not have to write the law,” she added.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Minnesota is one of 15 states that allow both religious and philosophical objections to vaccination for children.
Evan Stambaugh
Evan Stambaugh is a freelance writer who had previously been a sports blogger. He has a BA in theology and an MA in philosophy.
