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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="7-403" title_number="7" title_name="Public Schools" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Health and Safety of Students">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In cooperation with the State Board and the Maryland State Medical Society, the Maryland Department of Health shall adopt rules and regulations regarding blood tests for lead poisoning required of children entering schools.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>In cooperation with the State Board and the Statewide Advisory Commission on Immunizations, the Maryland Department of Health shall adopt rules and regulations regarding immunizations required of children entering schools.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>These rules and regulations shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Be adopted in compliance with the Administrative Procedure Act;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Provide that any child may have the immunization administered by his personal physician; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <level label="1">
          <text>By September 2003, in areas designated as at risk for lead poisoning, as determined under § 18–106 of the Health – General Article, when a child enters a public prekindergarten program, kindergarten program, or first grade, require the parent or legal guardian of the child to provide documentation from a health care provider, on a form developed by the Maryland Department of Health, certifying that the child has undergone blood testing for lead poisoning administered in accordance with the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the screening of young children for lead poisoning: Guidance for State and Local Public Health Officials (November 1997) and any subsequent guidelines; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>By September 2003, require a program or school to report the name, last known address, and telephone number of each child for whom certified documentation of a lead test is not provided under item 1 of this item, as determined by regulation, to the local health department in the jurisdiction where the child resides.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Any requirement for the administration of pertussis vaccine shall be consistent with § 18–332(b) of the Health – General Article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Unless the Secretary of Health declares an emergency or an epidemic of disease, a child whose parent or guardian objects to immunization on the ground that it conflicts with the parent’s or guardian’s bona fide religious beliefs and practices may not be required to present a physician’s certification of immunization in order to be admitted to school.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Secretary of Health shall adopt rules and regulations for religious exemptions under this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
