Page 78 - 2020 Annual Reports Book updated1

Progress Made on Harmonizing Lab Results and Establishing Pediatric Reference Intervals

AMT continues to participate in coalitions that have achieved a measure of success in seeking federal
funding for CDC initiatives to (1) “harmonize” test result values over multiple testing systems and (2)
establish pediatric reference intervals for tests performed on children.
Harmonization – In FY 2019 and 2020, Congress made modest initial appropriations to CDC’s
Environmental health Laboratory to promote a public-private partnership toward harmonizing test
result values across a spectrum of test systems. Hoping to build on that momentum, AMT was one of 20
stakeholder groups that signed a Feb. 20, 2020 coalition letter to House and Senate Appropriations
subcommittee leaders requesting an additional $7.2 million for CDC’s activities during FY 2021.

PRIs – In report language accompanying the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, House
and Senate Appropriations Committees directed “that CDC develop and submit a plan for improving
pediatric references intervals, including the resources necessary for carrying out this initiative in the
fiscal year 2021 [budget justification].” AMT was one of 29 stakeholder organizations that signed a Feb.
27, 2020 coalition letter to Congressional appropriators requesting a $10 million appropriation to CDC’s
Environmental Health Laboratory for FY 2021 to initiate work on this project.

California Governor Signs Bills to Limit Medical Exemptions for Vaccines

Despite emotional protests by anti-vaccination activists, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two
bills last September cracking down down on physicians who sell medical vaccine exemptions for school-
age children.

One of the bills requires California's Department of Public Health to investigate medical exemptions
from doctors who have granted five or more in a year. A companion bill allows a child who has a
medical exemption issued before January 1, 2020, to be allowed to continue enrollment until the child
enrolls in the next grade level.

The bills were promoted by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the California Medical Association and
the advocacy group Vaccinate California, all of which hailed their enactment. California is one of a small
handful of states that don’t recognize religious and other non-medical vaccine exemptions. The
unavailability of belief-based exemptions has led to a cottage industry in the sale of bogus medical
exemptions by physicians.

Coronavirus Handcuffs State Legislatures

The COVID-19 crisis has heavily impacted state legislative activity, forcing postponement or early
adjournment of many state assemblies. As of April 22, at least 22 state legislatures had postponed or
suspended their sessions. A number of others already had adjourned for the year. The virus emergency
led to many state legislatures passing only the most non-controversial and critical bills (e.g., budgets).

Among the casualties of bills being supported by AMT was a Connecticut bill (HB 5094) that would
authorize properly trained and certified medical assistants to administer vaccines under supervision of a
licensed physician or nurse practitioner. The Connecticut General Assembly suspended its 2020 session
th
on March 12 and did not resume activity before legislative leaders announced on April 21 that the
Assembly would not reconvene in advance of its constitutional adjournment date of May 6, 2020. The

75