Senate Bill 20-163

Update on the passage of Senate Bill 20-163 School Entry Immunization  

CDPHE is beginning the process necessary to implement SB20-163, School Entry Immunization. Schools and child care centers will not be required to make any changes for the 2020-2021 school year. The 2021-2022 school year is the current target for changes to be implemented. 

Under the new law, the state will:

• Consolidate the personal belief and religious exemptions into a single non-medical exemption category.

• Require an immunizing provider signature or completion of CDPHE’s online education module prior to claiming a non-medical exemption.

• Require use of the CDPHE’s standard medical and non-medical exemption forms.

  • Note: Students who solely participate in a home-based education program under §22-33-104.5, C.R.S. and do not attend a public, charter, or private school for a portion of the day, may submit a signed statement of non-medical exemption in lieu of the department’s standard non-medical exemption form. 

• Require schools to actively and directly share their school’s measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) rate with parents via CDPHE’s annual parent letter by Feb. 15 of each year.

• Establish a “vaccinated child standard” of 95% for all school-required vaccines.

• Require medical providers to report both immunization and exemption information to the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS).

As CDPHE works to implement these changes, it will send out information regularly. Some changes will require Board of Health (BOH) approval later this year, and we will seek stakeholder input throughout the process. If you would like to sign up for our BOH rulemaking stakeholder list, please email cdphe_dceed_rulemaking@state.co.us.