NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8329
SPONSOR: Dinowitz TITLE OF BILL: An act to repeal subdivision 9 of section 2164 of the
public health law, relating to exemption from vaccination due to reli-
gious beliefs
PURPOSE: This bill would repeal all non-medical exemptions from
vaccination requirements for children.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill repeals subdivision 9 of section 2164 of the
public health law.
Section 2 provides that the act shall take effect immediately.
JUSTIFICATION: Existing New York State law requires all children in
New York to receive certain immunizations for poliomyelitis, mumps,
measles, diphtheria, rubella, HiB, hepatitis B, and varicella. The law
provides an exemption from the immunization requirements where a physi-
cian certifies that the immunization may be detrimental to a child's
health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, sustaining a high vaccina-
tion rate among school children is vital to the prevention of disease
outbreaks, including the reestablishment of diseases that have been
largely eradicated in the United States, such as measles.
According to State data from 2013-2014, there are at least 285 schools
in New York with an immunization rate below 85%, including 170 schools
below 70%, far below the CDC's goal of at least a 95% vaccination rate
to maintain herd immunity. This bill would repeal exemptions currently
found in the law for children whose parents have non-medical objections
to immunizations.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8329
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
August 5, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Health
AN ACT to repeal subdivision 9 of section 2164 of the public health law,
relating to exemption from vaccination due to religious beliefs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 9 of section 2164 of the public health law is
2 REPEALED.
3 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11765-01-5
