New Vaccination Bills in NYS Legislature
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http://nyvic.org/nyvic/law/2005
May 2005 - New Vaccination Bills in NYS Legislature
These pages will be updated as new information becomes available
Dear Friends,
Thanks to the enlightened leadership of Assembly Member Dick Gottfried and
State Senator Frank Padavan, NYers concerned about religious freedom and
patient rights have the opportunity to support the restoration of some of
our rights and freedoms. To do this, you are urged to act immediately to
support the two bills they have introduced:
The first bill, the "Religious Exemption" bill (click for full text)
http://nyvic.org/nyvic/law/2005/religious.htm, is intended to protect
people in the free exercise of their religion from inappropriate and
intrusive inquiry into their religious beliefs by government authorities.
The parents (or guardians), or the adult student, may file an affidavit
stating that he/she/they hold genuine and sincere religious beliefs which
are contrary to the practice, without being subject to further inquiry.
People who have experienced excessive intrusion are particularly encouraged
to speak up. The Senate bill number is S4693. The bill is still in
circulation in the Assembly and does not have a number yet.
The second bill, the "Physician Prevail" bill (click for full text)
http://nyvic.org/nyvic/law/2005/prevail.htm, is intended to ensure that
the professional judgment of a student's physician or nurse practitioner
will prevail concerning immunization of the student. It would be
particulary helpful if MDs and NPs weighed in with their support.
The Senate bill number is S4692. The bill is still in circulation in the
Assembly and does not have a number yet.
Senator Padavan has introduced his bills without circulating for
sponsorship; however, Senators can still sign on to them. It is
particularly important for constituents to contact members of the Health
Committees, as this is where the the bills will be first, before going to
the floor for a vote. Health committee members are listed below.
Assembly Member Gottfried is in the process of circulating his bills for
sponsorship. There are only a couple of days remaining for assembly members
to sign on. After the circulation period, they can still sign on, but it is
more cumbersome.
Under the present circumstances, even if your child's religious exemption
has been "granted," there is no guarantee that it will remain as such.
Parents have reported to NYVIC that when their child has moved on to middle
or high school, their status has been subject to review and that there is
increasing questioning of the "sincerity" of their religious beliefs.
Therefore -
Please contact your assembly member and state senator NOW and urge them to
sponsor the bills - and to vote for them when they reach the floor. And
urge health committee members to vote the bills out of committee.
To determine your state representatives by zip code -
map01.elections.state.ny.us/boe/Main.asp
Contact info for State Senators -
senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/senators?OpenForm
Contact info for Assembly Members - assembly.state.ny.us/mem
Senate Health Committee -
Chairperson: Hannon
Members: Andrews, DeFrancisco, Duane, Farley, Fuschillo, Klein, Larkin,
Libous, Maziarz, Montgomery, Onorato, Rath, Sampson, Malcolm Smith, Spano,
Winner
Assembly Health Committee (linked to their webpages at the website) -
Chairperson: Richard N. Gottfried
Members:
Jim Bacalles
Jonathan L. Bing
Jeff Brown
Kevin A. Cahill
James D. Conte
Steven Cymbrowitz
Jeffrey Dinowitz
Patricia A. Eddington
Sandy Galef
Diane Gordon
Alexander B. Pete Grannis
Aileen M. Gunther
Rhoda Jacobs
William B. Magnarelli
Nettie Mayersohn
Advice on Contacting Lawmakers
Just a word of advice: As a former Member of Congress myself, I can tell
you that volume mail, (or email) on an issue counts for far less than a
well-written personal letter or email, however brief... personal letters or
emails are far more impressive than a copy- cat message that comes in by
the hundreds. Such messages are usually tied in a stack with a "total
received" number on them, or just summarized as a number on a mail tally
sheet. Even more impressive is a visit to the congressman's home district
office, or a phone call to that office and to Washington. If the call is
made to the Washington office, a person should ask for the congressman's
"Legislative Affairs Assistance" who handles the (particular) issue. The
caller should state that he or she is a registered voter in the (whatever)
district of (state) and wants the congressman to support the bill. They
should also ask for a written reply from the congressman in which he states
his position.
Bob Bauman, former Representative from Maryland (1973-81)
The above Alert is posted online at
http://nyvic.org/nyvic/law/2005
New Yorkers for Vaccination Information and Choice (NYVIC)
[email protected]
www.nyvic.org
Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Classical Homeopath
www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm
