Connecticut SB 450: AN ACT CONCERNING THE STANDARD OF CARE FOR IMMUNIZATION.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 450
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE STANDARD OF CARE FOR
IMMUNIZATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 19a-7f of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2
passage): 3
(a) The Commissioner of Public Health shall [determine] establish the 4
standard of care for immunization for [the children] residents of this 5
state. The standard of care for immunization shall (1) be based on a 6
consideration of the recommended schedules for active immunization 7
for [normal] adults, infants and children, including, but not limited to, 8
such recommended schedules published by the National Centers for 9
Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization 10
Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of 11
Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Academy of Family 12
Physicians, and (2) include schedules recommended by the 13
commissioner for active immunization and contraindications to 14
administration of vaccines in accordance with such schedules. The 15
commissioner shall establish, within available appropriations, an 16
immunization program [which] that shall: [(1)] (A) Provide [vaccine] 17
vaccines at no cost to health care providers in Connecticut to administer 18
to children so that cost of [vaccine] vaccines will not be a barrier to age-19

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appropriate vaccination in this state; [(2)] (B) with the assistance of 20
hospital maternity programs, provide all parents in this state with the 21
recommended immunization schedule for [normal] infants and 22
children, a booklet to record immunizations at the time of the infant's 23
discharge from the hospital nursery and a list of sites where 24
immunization may be provided; [(3)] (C) inform in a timely manner all 25
health care providers of changes in the recommended immunization 26
schedule; [(4)] (D) assist hospitals, local health providers and local 27
health departments to develop and implement record-keeping and 28
outreach programs to identify and immunize those children who have 29
fallen behind the recommended immunization schedule or who lack 30
access to regular preventative health care and have the authority to 31
gather such data as may be needed to evaluate such efforts; [(5)] (E) 32
assist in the development of a program to assess the vaccination status 33
of children who are clients of state and federal programs serving the 34
health and welfare of children and make provision for vaccination of 35
those who are behind the recommended immunization schedule; [(6)] 36
(F) access available state and federal funds, including, but not limited 37
to, any funds available through the federal Childhood Immunization 38
Reauthorization or any funds available through the Medicaid program; 39
[(7)] (G) solicit, receive and expend funds from any public or private 40
source; and [(8)] (H) develop and make available to parents and health 41
care providers public health educational materials about the benefits of 42
timely immunization. 43
Sec. 2. Subparagraph (B) of subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 44
19a-7f of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted 45
in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 46
(B) [Commencing January 1, 2013, (i) any] Any health care provider 47
who administers vaccines to children (i) under the federal Vaccines For 48
Children immunization program that is operated by the Department of 49
Public Health under authority of 42 USC 1396s shall utilize, and the 50
department shall provide, any vaccine licensed by the federal Food and 51
Drug Administration, including any combination vaccine and dosage 52
form, that is (I) recommended by the National Centers for Disease 53

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Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization 54
Practices, and (II) made available to the department by the National 55
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and (ii) [any health care 56
provider who administers vaccines to children] shall utilize, and the 57
department shall provide, subject to inclusion in such program due to 58
available appropriations, any vaccine licensed by the federal Food and 59
Drug Administration, including any combination vaccine and dosage 60
form, that is (I) [recommended by the National Centers for Disease 61
Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization 62
Practices] set forth in the schedules for active immunization included in 63
the standard of care for immunization established pursuant to 64
subsection (a) of this section, (II) made available to the department by 65
the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or by other 66
means of procurement, provided such procurement conforms with 67
practices designed to reduce state procurement costs and resul