The Fight for Medical Exemptions in California Continues On!
Dear PERK Members,
It was such an honor to work with Senator Brian Jones, Senator Dave Cortese, and Senator Ben Allen as the bill sponsor on SB 1377! Senator Jones announcement included the following:
“It was an honor to work on SB 1377 this year with our sponsor, PERK, and get the vaccine medical exemption conversation out in the open. We need to fix this broken system for our kids and families and this was just a first step.
The Senator continues, “The bill may be done for now, but the fight continues to get a medical exemption for every child who needs one and get access to school services for those families. The mandates have gone too far, and this bipartisan bill was a clear message that we need to move back to normal!”
We are also grateful for the Senate Minority Leader’s leadership on this issue and bringing the bill forward on behalf of all the kids, families, and physicians. The conversation about vaccine mandates and medical exemptions was brought into the public arena. The historic moment required the effort of everyone to get the conversation beyond the hallways of the Capitol into the public arena. It took the effort and action of everyone.
To our entire PERK community and the Freedom Movement- Thank you! Thank you to the parents, families, doctors, organizations, firefighters, moms, dads, grandparents, businesses, the PERK board, PERK community, staff, volunteers, collaborative organizations, and people who sent in letters, went to the Capitol, attended the hearing, and stood alongside us in this effort. We can all be proud of the unified effort that effectively moved this issue forward in very difficult state. This effort reached further than many expected — earning #BipartisanSupport, including #Democratic co-authors Senator Dave Cortese @davecortese and Senator Ben Allen @senbenallen, and being taken seriously by California Senate leadership.
This is an important step towards restoring medical freedom in California.
The medical exemption conversation is back out in the open in public discourse and being discussed within the California Legislature.
We had bi-partisan support on this bill for the first time in California’s history.
Parents, organizations, and concerned citizens all effectively reached out to their Senators to voice their support, and this bill would not have been possible without all those voices and answering the call to action.
We came together. We showed up. And we moved this conversation forward in a meaningful way. We are all committed as the fight must continue!
We sent out a coalition letter and attached an important point from letter. None of this would have been possible, without all of you working together in unison.
The letter states, “On behalf of our respective coalition of organizations, we represent physicians, surgeons, healthcare professionals, firefighters, first responders, veterans, military, parents, children, businesses, moms across America, advocacy organizations, and concerned families and citizens across California, united… There is a greater conversation that we desire to have which will demonstrate the unintended consequences we are seeing in people’s everyday lives.”
Why sponsor the bill now? We receive countless calls, emails, and outreach from families for help. This story below illustrates why we sponsored the bill and why it is needed.
6 Year Old Denied Kindergarten Graduation, Refusal of Pediatrician Medical Exemption
Our Story Medical Exemption Revoked, Kids Being Banned From School
Our 6-year-old daughter was excluded from public school just four weeks before her kindergarten graduation—not because she was a danger to others, but because the state refused to honor her pediatrician’s medically-indicated exemption.
After experiencing a severe reaction to her fourth DTaP dose, a pediatrician advised that she not receive additional doses until at least seventh grade. Her primary pediatrician concurred. Their recommendation followed CDC guidance, which allows for delayed immunization in cases of significant adverse reactions such as hers. However, under SB 276, California requires children to have experienced either encephalitis or anaphylaxis to qualify for a medical exemption—effectively ignoring other serious, documented reactions and professional medical judgment.
When I asked a doctor who was consulting on behalf of the state whether he could honor our pediatrician’s exemption, his response was chilling:
“I could lose my medical license if I don’t follow this published guideline.”
This is the devastating impact of SB 276. It has created a climate of fear where doctors no longer feel empowered to treat individual patients according to their own medical expertise. The law strips physicians of their autonomy and forces families into impossible situations—sacrificing either their child’s health or their access to education.
No law should place bureaucratic policy above a physician’s ability to exercise clinical judgment. SB 276 is harming children like ours, undermining trust in the medical system, and placing an undue burden on both doctors and families. SB 276 must be amended or reversed entirely, so that children with legitimate medical needs are no longer denied education, and doctors are once again free to provide care rooted in compassion, integrity, and science.
Parent S.R., San Diego, CA (Doctor in Ventura County, CA)
We will keep fighting and keep pushing until medical freedom is restored!
Sincerely,
Amy Bohn
Co-Founder and CEO
Coalition Letter
