BILL NUMBER: S2726A
SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law and the general business law, in
relation to requiring children enrolled in an overnight, children's
non-regulated, summer day, or travelling camp to be vaccinated
 
PURPOSE::
This bill would require that any child and staff at an overnight, summer
day, travelling summer day or children's non-regulated camp be up to
date on their vaccinations; excluding those with a compromising medical
condition.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::
Section one: Adds subdivisions 6-a, and 6-b to § 1394 of the public
health law. Subdivision 6-a states that each children's overnight ,
summer day, and travelling summer day camp shall ensure that every child
enrolled at such camp has been administered an adequate do se or doses
of an immunizing agent against poliomyelitis, mumps, measles, diphthe-
ria, rubella, varicella, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Rib), pertussis,
tetanus, pneumococcal disease, and hepatitis B, which meets the stand-
ards approved by the United States public h ealth service for such
biological products. If any health care practitioner, as defined in
section twenty-one hundred sixty-four of t his chapter, certifies that
such immunization may be detrimental to a child's health, the require-
ments of this subdivision shall be inapplicable until such immunization
is found no longer to be detrimental to such child's health. Subdivision
6-b imposes the same requirements on the staff of such camps. Each
member of the staff is required to provide the camp operator with their
immunization certificates.
Section two: Adds subdivisions 4, and 5 to § 398-f of the general busi-
ness law. Subdivision 4 provides that each children's non-regul ated
camp shall ensure that every child enrolled at such camp has been admin-
istered an adequate dose or doses of an immunizing agent against poliom-
yelitis, mumps, measles, diphtheria, rubella, varicella, Haemophilus
influenzae type b (Rib), pertussis, tetanus, pneum ococcal disease, and
hepatitis B, which meets the standards approved by the United States
public health service for such biological p roducts. If any health care
practitioner, as defined in section twenty-one hundred sixty-four of
this chapter, certifies that such immunization may be detrimental to a
child's health, the requirements of this subdivision shall be inapplica-
ble until such immunization is found no longer to be detrimental to such
child's health. The commissioner of health is entrusted with the task of
formulating rules and regulations. Subdivision 5 imposes the same
requirements on the staff of such camps. Each member of the staff is
required to provide the camp operator with their immunization certif-
icates.
Section three: Amends subdivision 2 of section 398-f of the general
business law amending the notice provided to the parent or guardi an of
a child seeking enrollment in a non-regulated camp which includes infor-
mation stating that the camp is not required to follow department of
health regulations to information stating that the camp is not required
to follow department of health regulations regar ding maintaining mini-
mum staff-to-child ratios, hiring medical personnel, or reporting inju-
ries or illnesses to the department of health.
Section four: Amends subdivision .2 of section 398-f of the general
business law making conforming changes.
Section five: Provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION::
The New York State Department of Health code requires many camps to
maintain immunization records for all campers, which are then regularly
reviewed by local health departments. However, there are no vaccination
requirements for admission to camp. Currently, individual camps must
decide if any vaccines are required and what specifically those vaccines
would be.
Camps bring together children and adults from various regions, where
they often spend signifiant time together in close quarters, increasing
the risk of disease transmission. Vaccinations reduce this risk by
preventing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles,
mumps, and whooping cough. This legislation would require vaccinations
of children and employees at camps in New York State with the exception
of a child with a medical exemption.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
Senate
2019-2020: S6279, Referred to Health
2021-2022: S4249, Referred to Health
Assembly
2019-2020: No Assembly Same-As
2021-2022: A6961, Referred to Health
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE::
This act shall take effect on the first of October next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.

Statutes affected:
S2726: 1394 public health law, 398-f general business law, 398-f(2) general business law
S2726A: 1394 public health law, 398-f general business law, 398-f(2) general business law