Committee Approves SB 59 to Let Military Families Use Service Records Instead of Blue Card for School Entry

The Health Committee on Feb. 19 unanimously approved SB 59, a bill that would allow dependents of active-duty military personnel to use their military immunization records for school admission in place of the traditional "blue card." Senator Chastain, the bill sponsor in the Senate, described the change as a clarification to current practice.

"Currently under law, a child entering kindergarten or first grade has to show proof of their vaccinations through their blue card," Senator Chastain told the committee. "What this bill would do would allow dependents of active duty military personnel to use their military records for admittance into our schools."

Representative Hall asked whether the issue had been a recurring practical problem for military families. Chastain said she had been approached by a parent who welcomed the change because in some cases families had to obtain the blue card separately despite having military records. After brief discussion, a motion was made and seconded to move the bill favorably to the floor. The committee recorded the measure as passed unanimously.

The committee took no additional amendments at the meeting. Sponsors and members said the bill is intended to ease school enrollment for military families by recognizing existing military medical records as equivalent to the blue card required for kindergarten and first-grade entry.