NY State Senate Bill S6717

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Sep 13, 2019	referred to rules

S6717 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8635
Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §2164, add §2169, Pub Health L

S6717 (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.

S6717 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S6717

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:

None, new bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

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

S6717 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  6717

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                           September 13, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

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.
  §  2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2169 to
read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                           LBD13623-03-9

S. 6717                             2

  § 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, 2021.

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S6717

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Your Voice

Actions

S6717 (ACTIVE) - Details

S6717 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S6717 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S6717 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S6717

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Sponsored By

Brad Hoylman

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Your Voice

Actions

S6717 (ACTIVE) - Details

S6717 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S6717 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S6717 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments