This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
An amendment-infected immunization law got a booster shot from the Utah House on Friday before clearing the chamber by a single vote.
Bill sponsor Rep. Carol Moss, R-Holladay, said an amendment made Thursday would pose a danger to public health, and she would not support it if it advanced to the Senate.
"Anyone can do their own bill on this topic, now or in the future," Moss said. "But this is the bill that has my name on it."
Her proposal requires parents who want to exempt their children from immunizations to complete a 20-minute online course to learn about the signs and symptoms of preventable diseases and how to respond in the event of an outbreak.
Thursday's amendment removed the need for a parent to visit their local health department.
Moss on Friday convinced the House to reverse the amendment, attributing Thursday's vote to the distraction caused by two college football coaches visiting lawmakers and posing for pictures during her presentation.
Lehi Republican Rep. Jacob Anderegg, sponsor of the amendment, took time during Friday's debate to publicly apologize to the body.
He said it was not his intention to be disrespectful by altering the bill, and that he was not interested in having a "war" over which version of the proposal to vote on.
"Let's let the bill rise and fall on its own merit," he said.
Moss's bill continued to face opposition after it was restored to its original version, with lawmakers objecting to the barriers it would create for parents who don't vaccinate their children.
Anderegg described it as a "de facto discouragement of exemptions."
And Alpine Republican Rep. Mike Kennedy, a family doctor, was critical that "anti-vaxxers," or individuals who oppose vaccinations, were not invited to contribute to the bill's creation as the Utah Department of Health was.
"We should bring our opponents, as well as our proponents, into the room," he said.
But Moss said the bill is necessary for public health, as increasing exemption numbers have contributed to preventable outbreaks and a weakening of "herd immunity," the point at which vaccination rates are high enough to halt the spread of disease.
She said there are roughly 87,000 children in the state vulnerable to preventable disease, because they either elect to forgo immunizations or are unable to be vaccinated due to medical or religious reasons.
"I think we have a legal and a moral duty to help the parents of these children," Moss said.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 38-37. The vote was hung at 37-36 for several minutes, below the minimum 38 votes required for passage, with House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper, in a position to cast the deciding vote.
But a representative who had voted no switched, granting the 38th affirmative vote. Hughes voted no before moving on to the next bill.
The bill will now be transferred to the Senate for consideration. No Senate sponsor has currently signed onto the proposal.
Twitter: @bjaminwood