HB 1606 - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

15Mar2022... 0919h

2022 SESSION

22-2150

05/10

HOUSE BILL 1606

AN ACT making the state vaccine registry an opt-in program.

SPONSORS: Rep. Lang, Belk. 4; Rep. Nunez, Hills. 37; Rep. Rice, Hills. 37; Rep. Binford, Graf. 15; Rep. Harvey-Bolia, Belk. 4; Rep. Notter, Hills. 21; Rep. T. Lekas, Hills. 37; Rep. Bordes, Belk. 3; Rep. Pauer, Hills. 26; Rep. McLean, Hills. 44; Sen. Avard, Dist 12; Sen. Giuda, Dist 2; Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9

COMMITTEE: Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

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ANALYSIS

This bill makes the state immunization registry an opt-in program rather than an opt-out program.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

15Mar2022... 0919h 22-2150

05/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Two

AN ACT making the state vaccine registry an opt-in program.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1  New Paragraph; Communicable Disease; Immunization Registry; Opportunity to Opt-In to the Registry.  Amend RSA 141-C:20-f by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:

II-a.(a)  Each patient, or the patient's parent or guardian if the patient is a minor, shall be given the opportunity to opt-out or opt-in to the immunization registry for each administered vaccine.  Only actually administered vaccines shall be recorded in the vaccine registry.  Refusals or discussions of vaccines shall not be submitted to the registry.  A patient, or the patient's parent or guardian if the patient is a minor, may receive a printout of all vaccines in the registry, upon request, from any vaccine provider authorized to use the registry.

(b)  No patient's personal data, such as name, address, date of birth, immunization, or vaccination information, shall be entered into the registry without an explicit vaccine consent form, signed by the patient, or the patient's parent or guardian if the patient is a minor, to participate in the vaccine registry.

2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 120 days after its passage.

LBA

22-2150

Amended 4/11/22

HB 1606- FISCAL NOTE

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT #2022-0919h)

AN ACT making the state vaccine registry an opt-in program.

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

METHODOLOGY:

This bill requires that each patient, or patient's guardian in the case of a minor, be given the opportunity to opt-out or opt-in to the state immunization registry for each administered vaccine. The Department of Health and Human Services states that while the current immunization information system (IIS) would be sufficient to support a blanket opt-in/opt-out model for participation in the registry, it does not support an opt-in/opt-out model for each individual vaccination event.  Accordingly, the Department states it would be unlikely to continue with its current vendor, and would instead contract for the development of a new registry at an anticipated cost of $42 million over four years of development.  The Department determined this cost by identifying 40 core  functions and capabilities that the new system would need to satisfy, and assuming each would require 7,000 staff hours for development at an hourly cost of $150. (7,000 hours * $150 * 40 core functions = $42 million.)  The Department assumes that this cost will be spread out evenly over the four-year development period, at an annual cost of $10.5 million.  The Department further assumes annual maintenance and operation costs of $3 million once the new database has been fully developed.  Finally, the Department assumes a one-time cost of $34,000 to develop and distribute printed materials to patients and providers, to inform patients of their options under the proposed law.  The cost would be incurred regardless of whether a new IIS database is needed.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Health and Human Services