Lawmakers in Texas advanced a bill Wednesday to rescind the governor's executive order requiring that school-age girls receive a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. The House of Representatives' Public Health Committee voted 6-3 in favor of the bill, which is sponsored by more than 90 of the 150 House members. The bill provides, in part, that "immunization against the human papilloma virus may not be required for a person's admission to any elementary or secondary school," and it explicitly pre-empts "all contrary executive orders of the governor." The committee voted after hearing hours of public testimony late into the night Monday. The House committee also unanimously approved another bill designed to increase public awareness of HPV and the vaccine. |
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