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Understanding AB 2651, the Legislative Process and
and how AVFCA is Working to
Stop Stigmatization and Discrimination

🛑 A B 2651 (Bonta), known as the Informed Parents, Healthy Schools Act ( [link removed] [[link removed]] ) , passed the Assembly Health Committee earlier this week by a vote of 12 Ayes (all Democratic members) and 3 Noes/1 Not Voting (all Republican members).

Bill Summary: AB 2651 would direct the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to establish immunization rate thresholds for schools. Schools falling below those thresholds would be required to notify parents that the school is considered "under-vaccinated."

While framed as a transparency measure, the practical effect would be to spotlight a small, identifiable group of students, the majority of whom hold valid vaccine medical exemptions, have disabilities, or are otherwise legally protected. Because the data relies on small cohorts (kindergarten and 7th grade), even one or two exempt students can materially distort reported rates and result in a school being flagged without providing meaningful public health insight. The unintended consequences of this approach are significant: public identification of these students creates real risk of bullying, stigmatization, and discrimination against some of California's most vulnerable children.

Critically, the bill offers no clarity on what happens after the notification is sent. When asked directly, the author’s office acknowledged that any follow-on action is "outside the scope of the bill," yet proponents argued repeatedly during the hearing that the bill is designed to empower parents of immunocompromised children to make decisions for their families. These two positions are difficult to reconcile. It remains entirely unclear what action parents would be expected or supported to take. That gap creates real uncertainty for families, potential legal exposure for schools, and no meaningful protection for the children caught in the middle.

What This Means: Assembly Health Committee passage was expected. AB 2651 is authored by Asm. Mia Bonta, the Chair of the Committee, and carries strong Democratic support. The real work happens outside of hearings, through sustained engagement, relationship-building, and strategic amendments pursued over time. That is where AVFCA operates. AVFCA is in the Capitol every week, often multiple times a week, meeting with legislators, attending committees, and engaging directly in the process. We are the only organization in the medical freedom and MAHA space doing this work day in and day out in Sacramento, currently tracking and engaging on more than 30 state and federal bills ( [link removed] [[link removed]] ).

Through this consistent presence, AVFCA has built strong working relationships with legislators and staff on both sides of the aisle. We are the only organization in the medical freedom space to have sponsored and advanced four bills over the past six years, and we have a demonstrated track record of successfully amending legislation to eliminate or neutralize harm before it becomes law. That approach remains central to our strategy on AB 2651.

AVFCA AB 2651 Engagement: AVFCA formally opposed this bill and engaged as we do with every piece of legislation we support or oppose: early, strategically, and throughout the process. The AVFCA legislative team met with staff in the author’s office, with the Assembly Health Committee, and reached out to all members of the Assembly Health Committee ahead of the hearing.

For the hearing, Karen Amigon testified on behalf of A Voice for Choice Advocacy, along with Joshua Coleman of V is for Vaccines. Both organizations submitted timely opposition letters, arrived hours in advance to secure lead opposition positions, and delivered focused testimony on the core concerns, including:

* De facto identification of exempt students : In a system where access to school without full vaccination is extremely limited, publishing school and grade level rates makes it easy to infer which students hold vaccine medical exemptions
* Small sample size distortion : Data is collected primarily at the kindergarten and 7th grade levels, where class sizes can be small. One or two students with exemptions can significantly shift percentages and result in a school being flagged
* Risk of stigma and targeting : Families of exempt students, including those with serious medical conditions, may face increased scrutiny, pressure, or harassment
* Impact on vulnerable populations : Students with IEPs, long term vaccine medical exemptions, foster youth, and military families with temporary exemptions may be disproportionately affected
* Unnecessary duplication : Vaccination rate data is already publicly available through the CDPH website. This bill does not add meaningful transparency but instead amplifies and redistributes data in a way that increases risk to specific students
* Expansion of CDPH authority : Allowing CDPH to define acceptable immunity thresholds raises concerns about shifting standards without legislative oversight

You can view the hearing here: [link removed] [[link removed]] (testimony begins at approximately 30:15).

Clarifying the Record: Some public claims about the hearing from another organization are inaccurate. Per the Assembly Health Committee’s rules, primary witnesses in opposition must have their position registered prior to the hearing, which this organization did not. As a result, they were not eligible to testify. This other organization claims their witness, Brian Hooker, with whom AVFCA has a working relationship, was blocked from testifying.

During the hearing, the Chair did offer an option that could have accommodated an additional witness, but would reduce the time allowed for each witness significantly. It would have required our witnesses to restructure their prepared testimony with no advance notice, which was not workable given the timing and the two-minute limit already in place. Ultimately, this was a procedural matter governed by legislative rules, not a discretionary decision made by AVFCA. We wish we controlled the California Legislature and had all the time in the world to testify, but we do not.

We also want to acknowledge that interactions from the founders of this other organization surrounding the hearing, before and after testimony, were inappropriate for a public government setting, especially with young children present. AVFCA's legislative team conducted itself with composure throughout. How we show up in these moments reflects on the credibility of our entire movement, and AVFCA remains committed to that standard. Josh Coleman put together an explanation and rebuttle of what transpired for those interested: [link removed] [[link removed]]

Next Steps: AB 2651 continues to move through the legislative process. AVFCA will be engaged at every stage, pushing for strong amendments and pressing for answers on the significant questions this bill leaves unresolved.

Support Our Work: Thank you to everyone who continues to support strategic, principled advocacy on behalf of California families. For over a decade, AVFCA has worked closely with legislation and policy in California. We encourage you to rely on AVFCA as a trusted source for accurate, up-to-date information when it comes to bills in CA.

If you found this information helpful and appreciate the work A Voice for Choice Advocacy is doing, please support us by making a donation today.

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C
Christina Hildebrand
President/Founder
A Voice for Choice Advocacy, Inc.
[email protected] [[email protected]]
www.AVoiceForChoiceAdvocacy.org [[link removed]]
www.avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org [www.avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org]
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