
SB-1479 COVID-19 testing in schools: COVID-19 testing plans. (Pan)This bill would require CDPH to coordinate specified school COVID-19 testing programs. The bill would also require the department to expand its public health mitigation efforts to include prekindergarten, onsite after school programs, and childcare centers. This bill would require each school district, county office of education, and charter school to create a COVID-19 testing plan consistent with guidance from CDPH.
CURRENT STATUS: Passed in Senate Health Committee and in Senate Education. In Senate Appropriations Committee.

Talking Points for SB 1479
Specific Ask: Oppose SB 1479 or abstain from voting on the bill.
Main Talking Points
- COVID-19 testing plans should be the responsibility of the public health department, not schools.
- COVID-19 transmission rates in schools are very low.
- Children are highly unlikely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and very few pediatric deaths associated with COVID-19 have occurred in California during the pandemic.
- Testing of asymptomatic students would lead to lost learning time and increased emotional stress for those subjected to implementation of such a plan.
- Asymptomatic testing of students can lead to unnecessary and harmful quarantines of healthy children due to false positive results.
