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Report

The Committee's report 29 Public Health (Exclusion of Unvaccinated Children from Child Care) Amendment Bill 2013, tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday 26 September 2013, is available here.

One of the three recommendations in the report was directed to the Minister for Health. The Minister's response is available here.

Referral

On 23 May 2013, Mrs Jo-Ann Miller MP, Member for Bundamba, introduced the Public Health (Exclusion of Unvaccinated Children from Child Care) Amendment Bill 2013. In accordance with Standing Order 131, this Private Members’ Bill was been referred to the Health and Community Services Committee for examination and report. Mrs Miller's explanatory speech can be found here.

The committee was to examine the policies the Bill seeks to give effect to, the Bill’s lawfulness, and the application of fundamental legislative principles, as set out in section 4 of the Legislative Standards Act 1992. The committee was required to report to the Parliament by 27 September 2013.

The Bill

The object of the Bill is to give a person in charge of an education and care service or child care service the option to refuse to allow children who are not fully immunised to enrol in the child care facility or to participate in particular activities or services provided by the facility.

The key features of the scheme are:

(a) the person in charge of an education and care service or child care service will be required to give parents the opportunity to have the child vaccinated before the refusal can take effect, and

(b) the changes will not be compulsory, the person in charge of an education and care service or child care service will have the option to exercise them, and

(c) the person in charge of an education and care service or child care service will not be able to refuse entry or services to a child who cannot be vaccinated for valid medical reasons, and

(d) the changes apply only to child care facilities (including pre-schools and kindergartens) and not to primary or secondary schools.

The Bill and Explanatory Notes are available:

Public Health (Exclusion of Unvaccinated Children from Child Care) Amendment Bill 2013

Explanatory Notes to the Bill

Hearing

The committee held a Public Briefing on the Bill by Mrs Jo-Ann Miller MP on Wednesday 21 August 2013, from 8.45am-9.10am in Committee Room 3 of the Parliamentary Annexe, Alice Street, Brisbane. The transcript is available here. The following documents are available for your reference:

• Queensland data extracted from 'National Health Performance Authority

The committee also held a public hearing on Monday 19 August 2013, from 9.00am - 12.00pm at the Parliamentary Annexe, Alice Street, Brisbane. The transcript for the hearing and the Letter of Clarification provided by Mrs Jo-Ann Miller MP is available for your reference. 

Submissions

Submissions closed at 5pm on Monday 15 July 2013.

Bill Not Passed

The Bill was debated by the Parliament on 12 February 2014, but was not passed. The transcript of the parliamentary debate is available here. By clicking the icon immediately before each speaker’s name, you can view video footage of each speaker’s debate.