The California Assembly has approved a bill that would make it harder for parents to opt out of immunizations for their children.
AB2109, approved Thursday, requires parents who choose to send unvaccinated children to school to first discuss the benefits and risks of immunizations with a physician.
California is among 20 states that allow parents to opt out of vaccines because of personal beliefs.
The bill by Democratic Assemblyman Richard Pan of Sacramento comes after a record number of parents opted out of vaccines last year. Public health workers say that unvaccinated children endanger infants and people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.
Several Republican lawmakers said the bill would infringe on religious and parental rights.
It passed the Assembly 44-19 and moves to the Senate.
