An Act To Protect Maine Children and Students from Preventable IO Diseases by Repealing Certain Exemptions from the Laws Governing Immunization Requirements
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0798
Committee Amendment CA_A-HA_A_H141 (House)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §6355, 20-A MRSA §6359, 22 MRSA §802, 22 MRSA §8402

HOUSE AMENDMENT "A" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 586, 
L.D. 798, Bill, "An Act To Protect Maine Children and Students from Preventable 
IO 
Diseases by Repealing Certain Exemptions from the Laws Governing Immunization 
Requirements" 
Amend the amendment by inserting after the title the following: 
'Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Protect Maine Children and Students from Preventable Diseases by 
Eliminating the Philosophical Exemption from the Laws Governing Immunization 
Requirements' ' 
Amend the amendment in the 2nd indented paragraph after the title in the first line 
(page 1, line 20 in amendment) by striking out the following: "inserting after section l II 
and inserting the following: 'striking out all of section 1 and inserting' 
Amend the amendment on page 1 by insetting before section 2 the following: 
'Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6355, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2001, c. 326, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
3. Religious exemption. The parent states in writing a sincere religious belief that is 
contrary to the immunization requirement of this subchapter or rm onno1-11tion to tlrn 
immunization for philosophical reasons.' 
Amend the amendment on page 1 in subsection 4 in the 2nd and 3rd lines (page 1, 
lines 23 and 24 in amendment) by striking out the following: 
11or religious" 
Amend the amendment on page 2 in the first indented paragraph in the first line (page 
2, line 33 in amendment) by striking out the following: "inserting after section 2
and 
inserting the following: 'striking out all of section 2 and inserting• 
Amend the amendment on page 2 by inserting before the 2nd section 3 the following: 
'Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §6359, sub-§3, ,rB, as amended by PL 2001, c. 3261 §6, is 
further amended to read: 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
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l 
HOUSE AMENDMENT ·A" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 586, L.D. 798 
B. The student or the parent, if the student is a minor, states in writing a sincere 
religious belief, which is contrary to the immunization requirement of this subchapter 
or an opposition to the immuni>zation for philosophical reasons.1 
Amend the amendment on page 3 by inserting after paragraph A the following: 
'Amend the bill by striking out all of section 3 and inse1iiug the following: 
1Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §802, sub-§4-B, ,rn, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 185, §2, is 
amended to read: 
B. A religious or philosophical exemption is available to an employee who states in 
writing a sincere religious or philosophioal belief that is contrary to the immunization 
requirement of this subchapter.1 ' 
Amend the amendment on page 3 by striking out all of the first indented paragraph 
(page 3, lines 12 to 14 in amendment) and inserting the following: 
'Amend the bill by striking out all of section 4 and inse1iing the following: 
'Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §8402, sub-§3, ,rA, as amended by PL 2001, c. 645, §10, is 
further amended to read: 
A. The department shall adopt rnles regarding the health of staff as required to 
protect the health and safety of the children. The rnles must include a requirement 
that every 2 years each licensee, administrator or other staff member of the nursery 
school who provides care for children be declared free from communicable disease 
by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant, except that this 
requirement may be waived for a person who objects on the grounds of sincerely held 
religious or philosophical belief. Rules adopted pursuant to this paragraph are routine 
technical rnles as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter R-A 2-A.
' 
Amend the amendment on page 3 in section 5 in the first parngraph in the last line 
(page 3, line 18 in amendment) by striking out the following: 
11or philosophical" 
Amend the amendment on page 3 in section 6 in the 2nd line (page 3, line 23 in 
amendment) by striking out the following: "paragraph A" and inserting the following: 
'paragraphs A and B' 
Amend the amendment on page 3 in section 6 in the 3rd line (page 3, line 24 in 
amendment) by striking out the following: "repeal" and inserting the following: 'amend' 
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter 
or section number to read consecutively. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
f{. ii 
HOUSE AMENDMENT" J/ " to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 586, L.D. 798 
SUMMARY 
This amendment retains the elimination of the so-called philosophical exemption 
from immunization requirements but removes the elimination of the so-called religious 
exemption from imm~q~s. 
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SPONSORED BY: 
~4'= 
(Representative SAMPSON) 
TOWN: Alfred 
HOUSE AMENDMENT