Bills Seek To Update School Quarantine Law, Child Advocates Watching Closely

Children’s advocates are also closely watching a pair of bills introduced by Moore Representative Kevin West (R).  

House Bills 3145 and 3159 could make changes to the ways school manages kids and disease outbreaks.  

Both were amended last week and eligible to be heard on the floor.  

HB 3159 repeals a section of school code that prohibits kids with lice or contagious disease from attending school.  

Rep. West said the law is outdated and redundant.  

“We still have the communicable disease part in there where kids can’t attend school. We put in some clarifying language to allow the school districts, in conjunction with the health department, to write rules. The definition of communicable disease also includes head lice, it's still all encompassing.” 

The State Health Department Commissioner Keith Reed said there are currently laws in place that say no individual with a communicable disease shall be permitted to go to school until a quarantine period is over, or the local health officer says it's okay.  

HB 3145 reorganizes the language of both bills into several sections under the same statute.  

The bill updates current regulations to keep kids with lice out of school, bringing statute into alignment with CDC recommendations.  

The bill also says in part: “School boards shall promulgate quarantine protocols in conjunction with local health department authorities and the State Department of Health.” 

Joe Dorman is the CEO of the Institute for Child Advocacy. He said he is concerned about both bills.  

He said SB 3145 does more than encourage schools to work with the health department to set quarantine policies – it requires them too.  

“The big change is, in the past, schools have been able to set their own rules for how to handle and issue with a contagious disease,” Dorman said.  

The Oklahoma State Medical Association is also keeping an eye on this legislation this session.  

West said if just HB 3159 passes, there won’t be much change to powers schools currently have. But the State Medical Association says differently. 

President Dr. Mary Clarke said in a statement:  

“The Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA) remains strongly opposed to the passage of SB 3159, which could put children and teachers at risk by allowing contagious students to attend school. While we are aware there is a purported companion bill (HB3145), there is no guarantee that accompanying bill will pass, meaning they’ve invalidated an important public protection without a foreseeable fix.” 

Advocates say both need to pass to keep kids safe. 

“If both bills pass, the well-being of children will be protected. If only one of the bills were too pass, then we’ll have major concerns,” Dorman said.