NY State Senate Bill 2021-S44

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to health
Jan 06, 2021	referred to health

2021-S44 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1614
Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §2164, add §2169, Pub Health L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S6717, A8635
2023-2024: S1946, A837

2021-S44 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to the publication of immunization information; requires schools to provide immunization information to the commissioner of health; requires the department of health to make immunization information, including rates of immunization, available on its website.

2021-S44 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S44

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to the publication of
immunization information

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would require schools to report specific information about the
immunization rates of their student bodies to the Department of Health
(DOH). It would also require DOH to make certain information about New
York State immunization rates publicly available on its website.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends subdivision 11 of section 2164 of the
Public Health Law to require every school in the State to report certain
information to the Department of Health (DOH) regarding the immunization
status of each student admitted to the school.

Section 2 of the bill adds a new section 2169 to the Public Health Law
entitled Publication of Immunization Information to require DOH to make
certain information regarding New York State schools' compliance with
state immunization requirements prominently available on their website,
including a searchable database of immunization rates, an analysis of
statewide trends in immunization rates and exemptions over time, and an
analysis of areas of the sate vulnerable to the spread of communicable
diseases.

The bill requires DOH to appropriately protect the confidentiality of
individual identifying information while fulfilling the above require-
ments.

Section 3 of the bill sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Immunization against vaccine-preventable communicable diseases is one of
the most effective tools that we have to protect public health, partic-
ularly the health of immuno-compromised children and adults, cancer
survivors, and pregnant women, all of whom may not be able to be vacci-
nated due to potential medical contradictions.

In order to ensure that New York state has the strongest immunization
rates possible, it is crucial that policymakers and public health offi-
cials have appropriate access to accurate data regarding immunization
rates at New York schools.

Additionally, parents (particularly parents of children who cannot be
vaccinated for medical reasons) deserve to know whether or not their
child's school is maintaining a rate of immunization against communica-
ble diseases. No parent should have to worry for the safety of their
child when sending them to an environment that is supposed to be benefi-
cial, nurturing, and educational.

This legislation would require the Department of Health to make specific
information about schools' compliance for each immunization series
required by law prominently available on its website. This would ensure
that anyone seeking information regarding immunization rates in New York
would quickly be able to find accurate, up-to-date data.

It would also require the Department to analyze and publish trends in
immunization rates and medical exemptions from the law over time, to
ensure that "herd immunity" is being maintained. This would increase
public awareness of New York's immunity to communicable diseases and
help identify areas of concern across the state where immunization rates
are under herd immunity levels.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.6717 of 2019-2020 (Hoylman): Died in Health
A.8635 of 2019-2020 (Dinowitz): Died in Health

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect January 1, 2021.

2021-S44 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    44
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the publication of
   immunization information

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 11 of section 2164 of the public health law, as
 amended  by  chapter  401  of  the  laws  of 2015, is amended to read as
 follows:
   11. Every school shall annually provide  the  commissioner,  on  forms
 provided  by  the  commissioner, a summary regarding compliance with the
 provisions of this  section.  NOTHING  HEREIN  SHALL  PREVENT  A  SCHOOL
 DISTRICT  FROM PROVIDING SUCH FORMS TO THE COMMISSIONER ON BEHALF OF THE
 SCHOOLS WITHIN ITS DISTRICT.  SUCH SUMMARY SHALL IDENTIFY, AT MINIMUM:
   A. FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL IMMUNIZATION SERIES REQUIRED BY  THIS  SECTION,
 THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN ADMITTED TO THE SCHOOL THAT ARE:
   (I) FULLY IMMUNIZED;
   (II) NOT FULLY IMMUNIZED; AND
   (III) EXEMPT, PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION EIGHT OF THIS SECTION, FROM SUCH
 IMMUNIZATION SERIES;
   B.  THE  OVERALL  NUMBER  AND  PERCENTAGE  OF CHILDREN ADMITTED TO THE
 SCHOOL THAT ARE:
   (I) FULLY IMMUNIZED FOR  ALL  IMMUNIZATION  SERIES  REQUIRED  BY  THIS
 SECTION;
   (II)  NOT FULLY IMMUNIZED FOR ONE OR MORE IMMUNIZATION SERIES REQUIRED
 BY THIS SECTION; AND
   (III) EXEMPT, PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION EIGHT OF THIS SECTION, FROM  ONE
 OR MORE IMMUNIZATION SERIES REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION; AND
   C. ANY OTHER INFORMATION THE COMMISSIONER SHALL REQUIRE.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD02568-01-1

 S. 44                               2
 
   §  2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2169 to
 read as follows:
   §  2169.  PUBLICATION  OF  IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION. 1. THE DEPARTMENT
 SHALL PROMINENTLY MAKE AVAILABLE ON ITS  WEBSITE  INFORMATION  REGARDING
 COMPLIANCE  WITH  THE  REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION TWENTY-ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-
 FOUR OF THIS TITLE BY SCHOOLS IN THIS STATE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT  LIMITED
 TO:
   (A)  A  SEARCHABLE  DATABASE  OF  INFORMATION  REGARDING EACH SCHOOL'S
 COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION  TWENTY-ONE  HUNDRED  SIXTY-
 FOUR  OF  THIS  TITLE,  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT  LIMITED TO THE INFORMATION
 CONTAINED IN THE SUMMARY OF COMPLIANCE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO  SUBDIVISION
 ELEVEN OF SECTION TWENTY-ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE;
   (B)  FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL IMMUNIZATION SERIES REQUIRED BY SECTION TWEN-
 TY-ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE, THE NUMBER  AND  PERCENTAGE  OF
 CHILDREN ADMITTED TO A SCHOOL IN THIS STATE THAT ARE:
   (I) FULLY IMMUNIZED;
   (II) NOT FULLY IMMUNIZED; AND
   (III) EXEMPT, PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION EIGHT OF SUCH SECTION, FROM SUCH
 IMMUNIZATION SERIES;
   (C) THE OVERALL NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN ADMITTED TO A SCHOOL
 IN THIS STATE THAT ARE:
   (I)  FULLY  IMMUNIZED  FOR ALL IMMUNIZATION SERIES REQUIRED BY SECTION
 TWENTY-ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE;
   (II) NOT FULLY IMMUNIZED FOR ONE OR MORE IMMUNIZATION SERIES  REQUIRED
 BY SECTION TWENTY-ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE; AND
   (III)  EXEMPT,  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  EIGHT OF SECTION TWENTY-ONE
 HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE, FROM ONE OR MORE  IMMUNIZATION  SERIES
 REQUIRED BY SUCH SECTION;
   (D)  AN  ANALYSIS  OF  STATEWIDE  TRENDS  IN  IMMUNIZATION  RATES  AND
 EXEMPTIONS OVER TIME;
   (E) AN ANALYSIS  IDENTIFYING  PARTICULAR  SCHOOLS,  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS,
 AND/OR  AREAS  OF THE STATE WHICH HAVE AN IMMUNIZATION RATE OF LESS THAN
 NINETY-FIVE PERCENT, OR ARE OTHERWISE VULNERABLE TO THE SPREAD OF COMMU-
 NICABLE DISEASES; AND
   (F) ANY OTHER INFORMATION THE DEPARTMENT JUDGES  TO  BE  PERTINENT  OR
 NECESSARY.
   2.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES OF COMPLYING WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION
 ONE OF THIS SECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ENSURE THAT THE CONFIDENTIALI-
 TY OF INDIVIDUAL IDENTIFYING INFORMATION IS APPROPRIATELY PROTECTED, AND
 SHALL NOT PUBLISH SUCH INFORMATION IN A MANNER THAT ALLOWS SUCH INFORMA-
 TION TO BE LINKED TO AN INDIVIDUAL CHILD, PARENT, GUARDIAN, OR PERSON IN
 PARENTAL RELATIONSHIP TO A CHILD.
   § 3. This act shall take effect January 1, 2022.

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Senate Bill S44

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

2021-S44 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S44 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S44 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S44 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S44

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Sponsored By

Brad Hoylman-Sigal

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

2021-S44 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S44 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S44 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S44 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments