Calendar

     The very good news is that many of our priorities have been included in the Governor’s State of the State and 2019-20 Budget presentation. And the fact that we have both houses of the legislature led by a progressive Speaker and a progressive Majority Leader bodes well for getting our priorities passed this year.

     But, we will still have to fight hard to get our priorities for children and families passed this year as there are a multitude of competing issues that will be pushed by our fellow advocates. We cannot let the “Priorities for Children” fall off the table as the session heats up.

Major Initiatives We Support That Are Outlined in the Governor’s Proposals Include:

     These are legislative initiatives that we will work on to get passed in the legislature as early in the session as possible. I will be providing bill numbers shortly, but right now, if you speak with your state legislators, these are the key issues to bring up, along with the following:

     Not Included in the Governor’s Proposals, but included in the Legislative Gun Safety Package, are two bills that we will focus our advocacy on:

     The potential for us to get these two vital child focused gun safety bills passed is stronger this year with good and supportive friends in the legislature.

     Parts of the Governor’s Proposals that we support and that have already been passed by the legislature include:

Our Legislative Priorities, beyond what the Governor and the Legislatures are proposing, include:

     Will also be exploring creation of a central statewide decision making body to review all requests for Religious Exemptions from Immunization requirements. This would address the current uneven decision making across School Districts and provide a consistent and rational process reflective of the intent of the existing law. NYC has a central decision making process within its Department of Health & Mental Health, at the Bureau of Immunization. The state should have a similar consistent process across schools and districts.

     Requiring staff in the NICU’s to have either proof of current TDAP immunization, or wear a mask, is another option for legislation we are exploring.

     We also encourage you to talk with your legislator about NYS moving toward a Medical Exemption only protocol for required immunizations. This is a year to explore the level of support and the level of opposition to this option.

     There is a lot to do, and things are moving very fast here in Albany.

     But as always, we are and must continue to be the voice for children across our state.