SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3240

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 15, 2022

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3240, with committee amendments.

      As amended, this bill requires automatic registration with the New Jersey Immunization Information System (NJIIS) upon the administration of a vaccine for persons who are not currently registered with the NJIIS and unless the person or the person’s parent or legal guardian, in the case of a person younger than 18 years of age, provides a written request not to participate in the registry. 

      The NJIIS is a Statewide database that maintains records of individual vaccination histories.  Individuals born after January 1, 1998 are automatically included in the registry, unless the individual’s parent or guardian provides a written request that the person not be included in the registry; individuals born prior to January 1, 1998 may be included in the registry at the individual’s written request.

      This bill requires any person who is not currently enrolled in the registry to be automatically enrolled at the time the person is administered a vaccine, unless the person or the person’s parent or legal guardian, in the case of a person younger than 18 years of age, provides a written request not to participate in the registry.

      As amended, the bill provides that during a declared public health emergency, state of emergency, or an outbreak, or the immediate threat of an outbreak, of a communicable disease, as declared by the Commissioner of Health, the Commissioner of Health may deny an individual’s request to disenroll from the registry or to not participate in the registry for one or more vaccines for a specified period of time in order to track the administration and uptake of vaccinations.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments provide that during a declared public health emergency, state of emergency, or an outbreak, or the immediate threat of an outbreak, of a communicable disease, as declared by the Commissioner of Health, the Commissioner of Health may deny an individual’s request to disenroll from the registry or to not participate in the registry for one or more vaccines for a specified period of time in order to track the administration and uptake of vaccinations.

      Current law permits a child born prior to January 1, 1998 to be enrolled in the registry only at the written request of the individual’s parent or legal guardians.  The committee amendments instead provide that any New Jersey resident born prior to January 1, 1998 may be enrolled in the registry at the person’s written request to reflect the fact that anyone born prior to January 1, 1998 is no longer a minor.