LANSING, Mich, Dec. 4, 2025—With the number of vaccination waiver requests hitting a 12-year high this past fall for newly enrolled Michigan students, and the news U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s vaccine advisory panel has revised the childhood immunization schedule, Michigan House Democrats announced legislation today aimed at providing parents and caregivers more information and choice when it comes to selecting schools and childcare centers. The Empowering Parents, Protecting Communities package will organize and make easily accessible anonymous immunization rate data, allowing families to make the most informed choice possible when choosing where to send their kids.
“Parents who have an infant at home, or care for their ailing mother or father on the weekends, or have another child with a heart condition, have the right to know if they’re sending their student to a school that can keep them and their family safe,” said state Rep. Phil Skaggs (D-East Grand Rapids). “Our legislation informs and empowers parents to make those choices.”
The 11-bill package codifies access to the overall vaccination rate for a local school or childcare center while still preserving parental choice not to immunize children and maintaining the individual privacy of those that do. For families with infants, seniors, or immunocompromised children in the home, understanding the strength of herd immunity against severe but preventable illnesses within a specific location can help them better select where is safest for their child to attend.
“Parents across Michigan are anxious and confused by RFK Jr.’s attacks on science and his spread of vaccine misinformation,” said Rep. Matt Longjohn (D-Portage). “Regardless of whether parents choose to vaccinate, they deserve trusted, evidence-based information. This package ensures families, providers, and insurers have clear answers to make informed decisions.”
Empowering Parents, Protecting Communities would standardize the current process for immunization exemption while also ensuring privacy and anonymity when providing data on rates to the public, without mandating vaccinations. The package would also ensure that despite shifting federal guidelines, insurers would still be required to provide coverage for the full, previously-designated vaccination schedule, and would require state-level recommendations on immunization be developed through physical-led organizations based on evidenced-backed data.
“Given the disparities in health outcomes for communities of color, having access to accurate information about immunization rates is critical for families with young children,” said state Rep. Morgan Foreman (D-Pittsfield Twp.). “Parents have the right to know if they’re sending their toddler or student someplace where the likelihood of them bringing home a preventable illness to a vulnerable member of the family is significantly higher. At the end of the day, we all want peace of mind, and the assurance that our families are safe and healthy. Our package ensures that families who choose not to immunize their children, and families who cannot afford the risk of those preventable illnesses, can both have it.”
