REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
March 15, 2022
FROM
CURT HAGMAN, Chairman and Fourth District Supervisor, Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
Resolution Opposing Senate Bill 871 Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination for Public School Students
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution opposing Senate Bill 871, which requires mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for all public school students in California and removes exemptions for personal beliefs.
(Presenter: Curt Hagman, Chairman and Fourth District Supervisor, 387-4866)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Improve County Government Operations.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as this item is non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Under this item the Board of Supervisors (Board) will adopt a resolution opposing Senate Bill (SB) 871 and similar legislation, regulatory efforts, and state mandates that would require mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations without exceptions for personal beliefs. This includes vaccination mandates as a requirement for employment or enrollment in educational institutions, both public and private.
In fall 2021, Governor Newsom directed the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to follow the procedures established by the California State Legislature to add the COVID-19 vaccine to other vaccinations required for in-person public school attendance in the state.
Under California law, students are exempt from vaccines required for in-person attendance at K-12 schools if a doctor says it is medically necessary to do so, or due to personal beliefs. However, since current law only applies to previously approved immunizations, the State must offer broader personal belief exemptions for all newly mandated vaccines or override the exemption requirement by enacting new legislation.
On January 24, 2022, SB 871 was introduced which, if signed into law, would mandate all students attending public or private schools receive the COVID-19 vaccination with no exemption for personal beliefs. Personal belief exemptions are also removed from future or additional immunization requirements deemed necessary by CDPH.
Governor Newsom has begun to lift emergency orders and other COVID-19-related State mandates, including lifting the workplace indoor mask mandate as of March 1, 2022 and lifting the indoor mask mandate for schools as of March 11, 2022, thereby indicating the State’s recognition of rapidly improving public health conditions.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Administrative Office (Pamela Williams, Chief of Administration, 387-4377) on March 4, 2022; County Counsel (Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 4, 2022; Governmental and Legislative Affairs (Brad Jensen, Director, 387-4821) on March 4, 2022; and Finance (Sofia Almeida, Administrative Analyst, 387-4378) on March 3, 2022.