It is unlawful for any child to enroll in school or a licensed child care or licensed early childhood care program unless the child has been immunized as required under the rules of the public health division of the department of health and can provide satisfactory evidence of such immunization; provided that, if the child produces satisfactory evidence of having begun the process of immunization, the child may enroll and attend school or the child care program as long as the immunization process is being accomplished in the prescribed manner. It is unlawful for any parent to refuse or neglect to have the parent's child immunized, as required by this section, unless the child is properly exempted.

History: 1953 Comp., § 12-3-4.2, enacted by Laws 1959, ch. 329, § 2; 1975, ch. 25, § 1; 1977, ch. 253, § 21; 2025 (1st S.S.), ch. 5, § 2; 1978 Comp., § 24-5-2, repealed and reenacted by Laws 2025 (1st S.S.), ch. 5, § 9.

ANNOTATIONS

Repeals. — Laws 2026, ch. 42, § 2 repealed Laws 2025 (1st S.S.), ch.5, § 9 effective May 20, 2026. Laws 2025 (1st S.S.), ch. 5, § 9 would have become effective July 1, 2026.

The 2025 (1st S.S.) amendment, effective December 31, 2025, included "licensed child care programs" to an existing provision requiring children to be immunized prior to enrollment in school unless the child is properly exempted; after "enroll in school" added "or a licensed child care or licensed early childhood care program", and after "enroll and attend school" added "or the child care program".