Legislation Details:

UPDATE: 5/21/2024 - A8281 was held for consideration in the Assembly Social Services Committee on 5/21/2024. A8281 can be placed back on an active agenda to be voted on at any time. Continue to contact the Assembly Social Services Committee Members and ask them to OPPOSE. 

UPDATE: 5/17/2024 - A8281 is scheduled for a meeting in the Assembly Social Services Committee on Tuesday, 5/21/2024 at 10:30AM in Room 843. View the Meeting Agenda HERE. Continue to contact the Assembly Social Services Committee Members until a vote is taken. Sometimes a vote is not taken on the day of the meeting.

UPDATE: 1/3/2024 - A8281 was carried over and referred to the Assembly Social Services Committee on 1/3/2024. 

A8281 was introduced and referred to the Assembly Social Services Committee on 11/27/2023. This bill is sponsored by Assemblyman Andy Goodell.

New York State Code addresses in Section 122 the Social Services available to non-citizens in the state. Currently, non-citizens do hot have to undergo any health screenings for communicable diseases or receive any immunizations to be eligible for state services. 

A8281 adds several requirements for which undocumented Immigrants must submit in order to receive certain state resources. These include health background checks and negative screenings for several communicable diseases including gonorrhea, Hansen's disease, syphilis, tuberculosis, or any communicable disease which may make a person subject to quarantine. Additionally, they must receive up to 16 vaccines, for COVID-19,  poliomyelitis, mumps, measles, diphtheria, rubella, varicella, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), pertussis, tetanus, pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, and rotavirus, except where not medically appropriate, or where such person has consented to and is already receiving a course of required vaccinations.

If passed, the provisions of this act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.

The New York legislators have a history of sponsoring and passing bills that increase vaccination mandates for a variety of population groups. This bill is just another ill-conceived bill trying to move state policy one segment of the population at a time towards forced vaccination. 

• On 6/13/2019,  A2371a, which removed the religious exemption to vaccination, was narrowly passed by the New York State Assembly Health Committee without a public hearing. Later the same day it was rammed through the senate again without any public hearing, and signed by Governor Cuomo. 
• On 2/14/2023, A4324 was introduced. It would have required employees at children's overnight camps, summer day camps and traveling summer day camps to receive mumps, measles, diphtheria, rubella, varicella, pertussis, and tetanus immunizations. This bill did not pass.
• On 1/23/2023, A2125 was introduced and referred to the Assembly Health Committee. It would prohibit NY organization or entity from permitting any vaccine exemption other than medical and repeals religious exemptions for certain post-secondary students.
  

• On 1/23/2023, A2186 was introduced and on 1/24/2023 S2726 was introduced. These companion bills would have required children attending overnight, non-regulated, summer day, or traveling summer day camps to be vaccinated against polio, mumps, measles, diphtheria, rubella, varicella, haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pertussis, tetanus, pneumococcal disease, and hepatitis B. They did allow medical exemptions, but neither passed.