Senate committee advances bill moving daycare immunization rules into statute

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to send House Bill 290 to the Senate floor with a “do pass” recommendation after a committee discussion over whether moving existing department rules into statute would reduce public rulemaking input and create unintended consequences for childcare providers.

Representative Healy (R., District 15), who presented the bill, said the measure “is putting the control back into the elected officials” by moving rules into statute so the Department of Health and Welfare “can no longer make temporary rules outside of the legislative session.” He told the committee the change would prevent the department from issuing temporary rules on vaccines or increasing enforcement without legislative approval.

Committee members raised concerns about what is currently in the rules and the effect of codifying them. Senator…