PIERRE, South Dakota (PNN) - February 8, 2020 - A bill that would put an end to vaccination requirements for students has been introduced in the South Dakota House of Representatives.
House Bill 1235 would stop schools and colleges from requiring vaccinations for students to enter school.
One of the bill's 12 co-sponsors, House Majority Leader Lee Qualm of Platte, says "Nobody should be able to forcibly put something in someone's body that they do not approve of." He says it should be up to each set of parents to decide what is right for their children with regard to vaccinations.
The measure would also raise the penalty for schools and doctors that compel someone to get vaccinated from a class two to a class one misdemeanor.
South Dakota currently provides exemptions for students with weakened immune systems or religious objections.