New Bill Cuts Financial Penalty For Low-Income Families With Unvaccinated Children

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A new bill in California aims to help relieve the financial burdens some welfare recipients face when their kids don't go to school or aren't vaccinated. But the bill also makes it more difficult for families to avoid having their kids vaccinated.

Under current law, a family receiving money through CalWORKs could have their payments cut if children in the household aren't regularly attending school. There are also financial penalties when parents cannot prove their children have gotten all their required vaccinations.

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"One of the things is that a family's income could be reduced by almost 40% because they were sanctioned by the number of children that did not have their shots," Daphne Macklin, a public benefits advocate.

Macklin works for the Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organizations, a sponsor of the bill that aims to reduce what they say are burdensome penalties. Assemblyman Kansen Chu, the author of AB 283, gives an example of how a family of two could have payments cut from $577 a month to just $222 under current law.

"Assemblyman Chu's bill is simply a corrective to what was a good idea that maybe went too far," said Macklin.

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Under the proposed bill, families could face a $50 monthly fee for lack of proof of vaccinations, but families could no longer use religious beliefs as an excuse for avoiding shots. Another provision in the bill would drop financial penalties for truant children.

Macklin says the focus should not be on penalizing poor people but instead figuring out how to help -- especially when it comes to truancy.

"The harsh approach turned out to be a cover for 'maybe we need to spend some time doing some social work with this family. 59. And really figure out what's going on," said Macklin.

Currently, there are no organizations listed as opposed to this bill. During Monday's hearing in the Senate Human Services Committee, it passed 5-1. If it becomes law, the new regulations would take effect by October 2022 at the latest.