Each week, AIM staff compile new and moving legislation in jurisdictions all over the country.
This legislative summary is for the week of July 1, 2022.
Please Note: AIM is striving to monitor fast-moving state legislative developments. The information included in this summary may not be comprehensive and is subject to change. Please consult the linked jurisdiction websites for the most up-to-date information on each bill. If you are aware of missing information, please notify us. For individualized support, contact AIM Chief Policy and Government Relations Officer Brent Ewig. AIM would like to thank ASTHO for the ongoing partnership and support that makes these summaries possible and invite you to check out AIM’s Policy Toolkit for more legislative resources.
Enacted Legislation
COVID-19, Mandates, and Exemptions
- IA H 2298 was enacted on 6/14/22. This bill prohibits requiring immunization against COVID-19 for a person to be enrolled in any licensed childcare center, elementary or secondary school, or post-secondary before July 1, 2029.
Movement on Existing Bills
COVID-19, Mandates, and Exemptions
- AZ SB 1494 passed the House on 6/23/22. This bill prohibits the government or any employers doing business in the state from requiring employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This bill also does not exempt healthcare entities.
- NH HB 1455 was enrolled on 6/22/22. This bill would prohibit the enactment of federal vaccine mandates.
Introduced Legislation
COVID-19, Mandates, and Exemptions
- NJ A 4334 was introduced on 6/20/22. This bill would require all students and staff at public and private institutions of higher education to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Immunization Information Systems
- NJ A 4338 was introduced on 6/20/22. This bill requires all COVID-19 vaccines administered in the state to be recorded in the Immunization Information System.
Authority to Administer Vaccines
- PA HB 2679 was introduced on 6/20/22. This bill expands the scope of practice for pharmacists and pharmacy interns to administer flu and COVID-19 vaccines to those five years and older.
- PA SB 511 was introduced on 6/22/22. This bill amends the pharmacy tech and pharmacy intern’s scope of practice to permit the administration of COVID-19 and flu vaccines to those five years and older.
Gaining Media Attention
- On June 17, 2022, New York City Mayor Eric Adams gave fired unvaccinated workers the opportunity to get their jobs back if they received their first vaccine dose by June 30th and plan to get their 2nd dose by August 15th. Most reactions to this were against Adams’ administration’s offer to rehire workers only after they get vaccinated.
- In Iowa, some lawmakers fear the passing of IA H 2298 (see above) will undermine the progress they’ve made with COVID-19 vaccination efforts and might set a precedent to restrict other vaccinations.
- Various California groups have been discussing CA SB 866, which authorizes children ages 12 and older to make their own medical decisions without parental consent. Some activist groups urged the House to pass the bill. In contrast, others like Save California were relieved when the House Assembly skipped the bill.
- Connecticut group, Restore Vaccine Religious Exemption CT, started a petition asking the Connecticut legislature to reinstate a religious exemption to school vaccine requirements initially signed in April 2021. This would not apply to the COVID-19 vaccine but to other childhood immunizations.
- Law Offices of DuPont and Blumenstiel, an Ohio-based law firm, is hosting a webinar on June 16th to discuss vaccine injuries, how to spot them, and report them to the VAERS system. They also provide information on the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP).
- MS Against Mandates, a Mississippi group, shared a petition that demands the FDA answer questions about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine before expanding the vaccine to children. The petition also stated that at least 18 members of Congress had written a letter urging the FDA to stop authorization until they can answer questions about safety and efficacy.