S-1306.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5720
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State of Washington 54th Legislature 1995 Regular Session
By Senator West
Read first time 02/02/95. Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.
AN ACT Relating to childhood immunizations; adding a new section to chapter 43.20 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. INTENT‑-DECLARATION. The legislature finds that:
(1) There has been an increase in the number of children contracting vaccine preventable infectious diseases;
(2) This trend has occurred despite the availability of safe and effective immunizations which can prevent these disabling and life-threatening diseases;
(3) Parents and guardians of children are often unaware of the need for immunizations, the appropriate age to receive such immunizations, and the public health risks of the failure to be properly immunized.
The legislature declares that it is in the public health interest of the people of the state of Washington that all adults and children should be appropriately immunized.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.20 RCW to read as follows:
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH‑-IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULE. (1) The state board of health shall adopt rules by September 1, 1995, that establish a schedule of appropriate immunizations against vaccine preventable infectious diseases for adults and children. The schedule shall include the type of immunization recommended and the appropriate age for receiving vaccines. The state board of health may modify by rule the recommended immunization schedule. In implementing this section the state board of health shall consider recommended immunization schedules developed by such entities as the American academy of pediatrics and the United States public health service.
(2) The state board of health shall make immunization schedules required by this section available to the secretary of the department of health and the general public no later than October 1, 1995.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW to read as follows:
IMMUNIZATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM. (1) The department of health shall establish an immunization incentive program for the purpose of providing financial incentives to local health jurisdictions to improve immunization rates among children under four years of age. The program shall provide a twenty thousand dollar per year bonus to local health jurisdictions that meet the requirements of this section.
(2) The department of health, in consultation with each local health jurisdiction, shall establish the current rate of immunization compliance in each of the state's local health jurisdictions for children under four years of age. The rate shall be based upon the immunization schedules adopted by the state board of health under this chapter. This rate shall be known as the base rate.
(3) The department of health shall award each local health jurisdiction the sum of twenty thousand dollars for each year the local health jurisdiction increases the compliance rate by five percent. The jurisdiction shall receive an additional fifty thousand dollars for immunization compliance rates when ninety-eight percent of children under four years of age in the jurisdiction have complied with the state board of health recommended immunization schedule.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. CAPTIONS. Captions as used in this act constitute no part of the law.
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