A3254A

The Senate passed a public health measure extending vaccination protections to children in congregate summer settings on a 39-20 vote. Assembly Bill 3254A, sponsored by Assemblymember Dinowitz, drew sharp partisan divisions, with 20 senators voting in opposition. Sen. Skoufis, voting in the affirmative, argued the bill protects vulnerable children and the broader public by requiring vaccinations in congregate settings like camps. He compared the measure to the 2019 removal of religious exemptions for school vaccinations, stating individual choice to remain unvaccinated "ends at the tip of the other person's nose." The bill takes effect October 1.