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Who cares
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Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 4
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law and the education law, in relation to establishing a specific protocol regarding religious exemptions to immunizations in schools
Purpose
Calls upon the Commissioner of the Department of Health and the State Education Department to establish a specific protocol regarding religious exemptions to immunizations in schools.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Calls upon the Commissioner of Health to work with the Commissioner of Education to establish a protocol with specific criteria for all children seeking a religious vaccination exemption. This protocol should be put into effect prior to the 2016-2017 school year.
Section 2. Calls upon the Commissioner of Education to work with the Commissioner of Health to establish a protocol with specific criteria for all children seeking a religious vaccination exemption. This protocol should be put into effect prior to the 2016-2017 school year.
Section 3. Effective Date.
Justification
Although New York State does have a religious waiver to the vaccine requirements, some school districts conduct an inquiry into whether the beliefs are genuine and sincere. Currently, the law requires only a written and signed statement from the parent, parents, or guardian of such child stating that they object to the child's immunization due to sincere and genuine religious beliefs which prohibit the immunization of their child. However, the principal or person in charge of the school is free to require supporting documents. This flexibility results in different applications of the law in various school districts. Students who move to new school districts are left to reapply for this waiver which could result in a different outcome.
This bill calls upon the Commissioner of Health and Commissioner of Education to work together to implement a uniform process for students to be considered for the religious waiver to the vaccination requirement for schoolchildren.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Local fiscal implications
EFFECTIVE DATE : This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.