House Bill 5 comes back from the dead

http://www.cheyennenetwork.com/news/state6.asp

updated 3-5-02

News Analysis

House Bill 5 comes back from the dead

Wyoming Vaccine Information Network

Banner - The Wyoming Vaccine Information Network is alerting Wyoming citizens that the Wyoming House passed SF-17, a bill dealing with "Abuse", through the Committee of the Whole on Monday, March 4, that could be the avenue through which HB-5 (removal of religious exemptions to vaccinations) is resurrected. Although Monday's attempt to insert that amendment within this bill was unsuccessful, it has been reported that similar amendments will again be brought up on Tuesday, March 5.

The bill doesn't appear to pertain to childhood vaccination and medical treatment, but contained within this "Adult Protective Services Bill" is a section on pages 16 and 17, which is already part of the Wyoming statutes, that states, " 'Neglect' means a failure or refusal by those responsible for the child's welfare to provide adequate care, maintenance, supervision, education or medical, surgical or any other care necessary for the child's well being. Treatment given in good faith by spiritual means alone, through prayer, by a duly accredited practitioner in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination is not child neglect for that reason alone."

The Wyoming Vaccine Information Network believes that this is the place where amendments could be introduced to allow the court to order health care, including vaccinations. If the parent says no, he or she could be cited for neglect. These proposed amendments have been reported to state that spiritual health care, in lieu of medical health care, will be permitted if:

Health care costs for a child are recognized as reimbursable under medical policies of insurance issued by an authorized insurer.
The treatment provides a rate of success in maintaining health and treating disease or injury that is equivalent to that of medical treatment.

The Wyoming Vaccine Information Network believes that it is certainly unclear why a person who depends solely upon spiritual healing would even have health insurance, and furthermore, asks where statistics can be obtained to compare the success rate of spiritual healing to medical healing. Furthermore, the Network believes that healing through spiritual means is available to a wide number of people of many different religious faiths, and believes that the State should not be limiting this method of healing to a recognized denomination which uses "accredited practitioners".

The Wyoming Vaccine Information Network is urging its supporters to contact members of the Wyoming House, either by e-mail or FAX, to ask that they oppose the introduction of this unrelated set of amendments into SF-17, when this appears to the Network to be a last-ditch, final-hour approach to bring HB-5 back from the dead.

E-mail addresses for all State Legislators who use e-mail can be found on the Internet at http://legisweb.state.wy.us/email/email.htm, and FAXes can be sent to individual Legislators at FAX number (307) 777-5466.

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.