What's happening
This bill creates a New York State vaccination awareness campaign, funded partly by voluntary tax return contributions, with regular reporting requirements.
Why it matters
Integrates public and private funding for vaccine outreach. The bill allows the vaccination awareness campaign to be funded not only by state appropriations, but also by voluntary donations via tax returns and other private contributions—potentially expanding resources while signaling broad-based support.
Mandates transparency and accountability. Annual reporting by both the contracted organization and the Department of Health ensures public oversight of how funds are raised, allocated, and spent, which can help build public trust in the campaign’s integrity and effectiveness.
Leverages specialized expertise and community ties. By requiring the Department of Health to contract with a not-for-profit organization experienced in immunization campaigns and connected to the vaccination community, the bill aims to ensure that outreach efforts are credible, targeted, and responsive to New York’s diverse populations.
Aligns with national immunization guidance. The campaign is required to follow the CDC and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices schedules, which reinforces evidence-based public health messaging and may help counter misinformation.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Boost Vaccine Awareness Campaign
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 38
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to health
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to health
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–1
- Ordered to third reading cal.1342
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Print number 5136b
- Amend and recommit to health
- Print number 5136a
- Amend and recommit to health
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Boost Vaccine Awareness Funding
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Jeffrey Dinowitz
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5136--B
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 10, 2019
Introduced by Sens. CARLUCCI, HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to a New York state vaccination awareness campaign; and to amend the tax law and the state finance law, in relation to providing a tax check off box on personal income tax return forms for the New York state vaccination awareness campaign and certain reporting requirements
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2509 to read as follows:
§ 2509. New York state vaccination awareness campaign. 1. The department shall establish, and shall contract with a consultant to promote and maintain the New York state vaccination awareness campaign consistent with the immunization schedule established by the centers for disease control and prevention and the advisory committee on immunization practices.
2. The commissioner may enter into a multi-year contract for the operation and promotion of the New York state vaccination awareness campaign subject to such terms and conditions as may be contained within such contract with a not-for-profit organization that has experience working with New York state organizations that have expertise in immunization and vaccination promotional campaigns, and is affiliated with the immunization and vaccination community throughout the state. The contractor may subcontract as needed for the effective performance of the contract. All such subcontractors and the terms of such subcontracts shall be subject to approval by the commissioner.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11159-09-9
S. 5136--B 2
3. The contractor shall make a report, including but not limited to, the following:
(a) the annual dollar amount of voluntary contributions received by the contractor for the purposes of maintaining the New York state immunization educational and promotional campaigns and initiatives;
(b) a description of the promotional campaigns and initiatives implemented during the year; and
(c) accounting statements of expenditures for the purposes of maintaining the promotional campaigns and initiatives.
4. (a) For the period April first, two thousand twenty through March thirty-first, two thousand twenty-one, payments to the contractor shall be paid by the department.
(b) For the period beginning April first, two thousand twenty-one and thereafter, payments to the contractor shall be paid by the department from funds available for these purposes, including, but not limited to, the funds deposited into the New York state vaccination awareness campaign fund pursuant to section ninety-five-j of the state finance law.
(c) In addition, the contractor may receive and use voluntary contributions.
§ 2. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 630-g to read as follows:
§ 630-g. Gift for the New York state vaccination awareness campaign. Effective for any tax year commencing on or after January first, two thousand twenty, an individual in any taxable year may elect to contribute to the New York state vaccination awareness campaign fund. The contribution shall be in any whole dollar amount and shall not reduce the amount of state tax owed by such individual. The commissioner shall include space on the personal income tax return to enable a taxpayer to make such contribution. Notwithstanding any other provision of law all revenues collected pursuant to this section shall be credited to the New York state vaccination awareness campaign fund and used only for those purposes enumerated in section ninety-five-j of the state finance law.
§ 3. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-j to read as follows:
§ 95-j. New York state vaccination awareness campaign fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the comptroller, a special fund to be known as the "New York state vaccination awareness campaign fund".
2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received pursuant to the provisions of section twenty-five hundred nine of the public health law and section six hundred thirty-g of the tax law, all revenues received pursuant to appropriations by the legislature, and all moneys appropriated, credited, or transferred thereto from any other fund or source pursuant to law. Moneys shall be payable from the fund on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the commissioner of health. Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts or bequests for the purposes of the fund as defined in this section and depositing them into the fund according to law. Any interest received by the comptroller on moneys on deposit in such fund shall be retained in and become part of such fund.
3. Moneys of the fund shall be expended only to provide grants to the New York state vaccination awareness campaign for purposes of promoting not-for-profit corporations established in this state which are incorporated for the purpose of advancing and financing New York state vaccination awareness and the immunization schedule established by the centers
S. 5136--B 3
for disease control and prevention and the advisory committee on immunization practices.
4. On or before the first day of February each year, the commissioner of the department of health shall provide a written report to the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the senate finance committee, the chair of the assembly ways and means committee, the chair of the senate committee on health, the chair of the assembly health committee, the state comptroller and the public. Such report shall include how the monies of the fund were utilized during the preceding calendar year, and shall include:
(i) the amount of money disbursed from the fund and the award process used for such disbursements;
(ii) recipients of awards from the fund;
(iii) the amount awarded to each;
(iv) the purposes for which such awards were granted; and
(v) a summary financial plan for such monies which shall include estimates of all receipts and all disbursements for the current and succeeding fiscal years, along with the actual results from the prior fiscal year.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to taxable years beginning on or after such date. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to a New York state vaccination awareness campaign; and to amend the tax law and the state finance law, in relation to providing a tax check off box on personal income tax return forms for the New York state vaccina- tion awareness campaign and certain reporting requirements
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to create a New York State Awareness Campaign that is consistent with the immunization schedule established by the centers for disease control and prevention and the advisory committee on immunization practices. It also provides for a funding stream by way of a check off box on New York State Income Tax forms.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2509 to read as follows: § 2509. New York state vaccination awareness campaign. 1. The department shall contract with a consultant to promote and maintain the New York state vaccination awareness campaign.
Section 2 The tax law is amended by adding a new section 630-g to read as follows: § 630-g. Gift for the New York state vaccination awareness campaign. Effective for any tax year commencing on or after January first, two thousand twenty, an individual in any taxable year may elect to contribute to the New York state vaccination awareness campaign fund.
Section 3 The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-j to read as follows: § 95-j. New York state vaccination awareness campaign fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the comptroller, a special fund to be known as the "New York state vaccination awareness campaign fund".
Section 4 Effective Date.
Justification
We are living in a time when the definition of "fact" is unclear, as is the definition of "research"; we are living in a time when our social networks determine the information we see and believe, and when polari- zation has become the norm.
This has implications for so very many aspects of our lives. But it has particularly ominous implications for immunization. Immunizations save lives. Before vaccines, diseases like measles, polio and pertussis were common and often. deadly. Before vaccination pertussis killed 4,000 people a year, for example; in 2014-2015, it killed 6. Most people understand and believe this. The majority of children in the U.S. are immunized; more than 93 percent of children entering kindergarten have the recommended vaccines.
But it only takes a few cases to start an outbreak of vaccine-preventa- ble disease-especially when there are clusters of under- or unimmunized children, which can happen when social networks so strongly influence choices. The American Academy of Pediatrics and other professional medical asso- ciations believe that immunizations are the safest and most cost-effec- tive way of preventing disease, disability, and death. They urge parents to make sure that their children are immunized against dangerous child- hood diseases since it is always better to prevent a disease than to have to treat it or live with the consequences of having it.
Prior legislative legislative history
New Legislation
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to taxable years beginning on or after such date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.