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Legislation: House Bill 37 will be introduced to the Missouri House floor sometime this week (April 26 – April 30). This legislation would radically expand vaccine exemptions to include a conscientious belief exemption and require all public schools to accept vaccination exemptions written by parents without a doctor’s signature. This bill exempts private schools from requiring any immunizations.

HB 37 has also been amended to prohibit entities in the state from issuing or requiring vaccine passports or vaccination records (i.e. COVID-19 vaccination record cards).  The addition of this language is intended to garner broader support, even though a vaccine passport has not been proposed or endorsed in Missouri.

Additionally, the language of HB 37 has been amended on to House Bill 682, a bill limiting public colleges from requiring students to live in on-campus housing. HB 682 could be introduced on the Missouri House floor at any time.

Your Action is Needed Now:

MAIC urges you to reach out to your Kansas City area representatives and tell them to vote “no” on HB 37 and its amendments. See the proposed policy changes by clicking “read more” below and reference these in your communication as reasons to oppose HB 37. Each provision would dilute Missourians’ protection from preventable diseases.

House Bill 20 provides the necessary funding for expanding Medicaid in Missouri. Medicaid expansion is a key component in improving maternal and infant health. Last Week, HB 20 failed to pass in the Missouri House Budget Committee. As you know, Missouri voters voted to support Medicaid Expansion last summer. Providing the funding to make expansion a reality and act on the will of the people is critical. Our focus now moves to Senate efforts to restore Medicaid expansion funding. Click “read more” below to learn how you can help us take action.

Nurture KC supports Kansas House Bill 2371 to improve access to SNAP nutritional assistance and child care assistance for the families we serve. In support of this bill, our Executive Director, Tracy Russell, submitted testimony which you can see by clicking “read more” below. Please help us support this bill!

We need our members help! Two upcoming bills in Kansas would limit the authority of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to regulate vaccinations. Bill SB 212 would limit the authority of KDHE to determine important safety measures for students in public education. Bill SB 213 would prohibit employers from taking action against employees who choose not to vaccinate. This is particularly problematic for hospitals and local health departments as vaccination is a contingency of employment to protect patients from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Click “read more” below to: 1) Learn more details, 2) See how to contact the Senate Health Committee, and 3) What messages we need to send to this committee. Please take action now. We appreciate your support.

Legislation: Kansas Bill HB 2601 weakens the ability of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to regulate and promulgate rules as it relates to vaccination requirements/schedules. Instead, this authority would be vested with the state legislature, which meets for four months a year and lacks the background and medical expertise to determine appropriate action. Currently, KDHE has the ability and authority to act quickly based on new information and best practices from the CDC. Removing expertise from this process and placing it in the political arena for consideration is not in the best interests of disease prevention and the well-being of Kansans, young and old, who rely on vaccination information based on science, not politics.

Activity: A legislative hearing on the proposed bill is scheduled for Thursday, February 13 at 1:30 p.m. before the House Education Committee. It meets in room 346-S.

Click “read more” to see how you can submit testimony or contact committee chairs.