Griffo Bill to Exempt New York Grads From Vaccination Paperwork Passes Senate

Griffo Bill to Cut Red Tape, Mandated Costs Passed by Senate

(Albany) - To reduce the amount of time spent on duplicative paperwork, Senator Joseph A. Griffo (R-C-IP, Rome)  has developed a Public Health Law amendment that was approved yesterday by the New York State Senate as a step in its efforts to reduce mandates that take up valuable resources.

Senate# 4803 amends Public Health Law §2165(1)(b) to delete from the definition of "student" graduates of public, private and parochial secondary schools that are located in New York. The effect of the amendment is to eliminate the requirement for students who have graduated from New York high schools to provide college administrators, as a requisite to attending college, certificates of immunization against measles, mumps and rubella. Out-of-state and foreign students who attend New York colleges shall continue to be required to provide certificates of immunization.

Griffo said the bill reflects common sense. “State law requires that all children who attend public schools, or even child care and day care centers, must be immunized against measles, mumps and rubella, unless exempt for health or religious reasons,” Griffo said. “My amendment, which passed the Senate because of its merit, eliminates the requirement that New York students present immunization certification as a condition to attend a New York college or university. Forcing students and the families to certify what they had to certify once before imposes an unnecessary burden on the student, the student's parents or guardians, health care practitioners who prepare the certificate, and administrators of the college or university who must collect certificates and monitor compliance. My bill eliminates this waste of time and resources so that schools and health care providers can focus on essential issues, not duplicative paperwork.”

Randall VanWagoner, Ph.D., President - MVCC said, “The Senate’s action on this bill is heartening.  Relief from the original mandate will help us refocus further effort and resource on students in need; student success; and completion.  We are grateful to Senator Griffo for his leadership and support of this important legislation for MVCC and all of New York’s community colleges.”

Griffo said the requirements for out-of-state students will not change under his law. “New York has laws in place to safeguard students in group situations. The law makes sense. My issue was with the duplication of the paperwork, which I am pleased to see can now be eliminated if the Assembly and Governor follow the lead of the Senate.”

S.4803 has an Assembly companion version: A.7845 which is sponsored by Assemblymember Deborah Glick (D – Manhattan), Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee.

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