A bill in the North Carolina legislature would require all new students entering public schools to receive a medical checkup before enrolling.
Under HB 13, known as the Amend School Health Assessment Requirement, that information would be part of a student's permanent record.
Currently, state law only requires that children entering kindergarten receive a health assessment.
If the parent or guardian is unable to show that the child has had the required health assessment prior to attending school, then they would have 60 days to comply.
Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston, is a sponsor of the bill. He says the legislation protects children.
“If a child comes in with a hearing impairment, perhaps that can be determined through a physical and be addressed so they can hear properly in the classroom. Vision impairments could also be detected to help the child perform better in school,” says Torbett.
“And not only that, but if they come in and have something that is unnoticed or unknown to them that's determined during the physical, then we are also looking out for the safety of the other children they are interacting with.”
But critics of the bill say it's invasive, and that private medical information should only be shared between a family and their doctor.
There's also a concern the bill could keep poorer students or undocumented students out of school because those groups often have difficulty accessing health services from costs and other barriers.
The bill is in a Rules Committee in the Senate. If it becomes a law, it will take effect in the 2015-16 school year.
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