CSSB 292(STA): "An Act relating to student immunizations and to information relating to immunizations provided by the commissioner of health and social services."
00CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 292(STA) 01 "An Act relating to student immunizations and to information relating to 02 immunizations provided by the commissioner of health and social services." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 14.07.020(a) is amended to read: 05 (a) The department shall 06 (1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state 07 except the University of Alaska; 08 (2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, 09 adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school 10 performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement 11 of the public schools; 12 (3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school 13 governing bodies and personnel; 14 (4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public
01 schools; the regulations must provide that if a course in American Sign Language is 02 given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language; 03 (5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Health and Social 04 Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held in detention 05 facilities in the state during the period of detention; 06 (6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards 07 prescribed by regulation by the department; these regulations shall be adopted by the 08 department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular 09 session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, 10 whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of 11 the members of each house; 12 (7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire marshal 13 and the state sanitarian, standards in addition to the requirements of AS 18.15.145 that 14 will assure healthful and safe conditions in the public and private schools of the state 15 including a requirement of physical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary 16 schools; the standards for private schools may not be more stringent than those for 17 public schools; a regulation adopted under this paragraph may not require a child 18 to receive an immunization if 19 (A) in the opinion of a physician licensed in this state, the 20 child should not receive the immunization; or 21 (B) a parent or legal guardian of the child objects to the 22 immunization based on religious or personal beliefs; 23 (8) exercise general supervision over pre-elementary schools that 24 receive direct state or federal funding; 25 (9) provide accredited elementary and secondary correspondence study 26 programs available to any Alaskan through a centralized office of correspondence 27 study; 28 (10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet 29 accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in this 30 paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be 31 licensed;
01 (11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and 02 secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public 03 elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the 04 department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school 05 construction or major maintenance project; for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" 06 include educational specifications, schematic designs, and final contract documents; 07 (12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational 08 education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who 09 are no longer attending school; 10 (13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11; 11 (14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, 12 a school bus driver training course. 13 [(15) REPEALED.] 14 * Sec. 2. AS 14.30.125 is amended to read: 15 Sec. 14.30.125. Immunization. If , in the judgment of the commissioner of 16 health and social services , it is necessary for the welfare of the children or the general 17 public in an area, the governing body of the school district shall require the children 18 attending school in that area to be immunized against the diseases the commissioner 19 of health and social services may specify. This section does not require a child to 20 receive an immunization if, in the opinion of a physician licensed in this state, that 21 child should not receive the immunization or if a parent or legal guardian of the 22 child objects to the immunization based on religious or personal beliefs. 23 * Sec. 3. AS 44.29.010 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 24 (b) The commissioner of health and social services shall make available to the 25 public a safety and public needs brochure that describes the risks and benefits of 26 vaccines and immunizations that are required for attendance in a licensed day care 27 center, public school, or private school. The brochure described in this subsection 28 must disclose the source of the information used in the brochure.