The vote split on party lines with the exceptions of Democratic Senator Monica Martinez voting “No” and Democratic Senator Sam Sutton not voting.
The bill was not sent to the Rules Committee as is customary but sent directly to the Floor Calendar where it will await posting to the “Active List” of bills that will be voted on by the Senate as a whole.
If the bill is passed by the Senate and the Governor signs the bill before October of 2026 the law would take effect in October of 2026. If the Governor signs the bill after October of 2026 the law would take effect in October of 2027.
TAKE ACTION
Please call the following Senators and ask them to do what they can to prevent the bill from going to the floor, and why it is a bad idea. Talking Points are below.
Start with your own Senator. Your Senator’s contact information should appear below:
You can look up your Senator here:
https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator
Please call these Senators:
Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senate Majority Leader, D-35, Yonkers,
(518) 455-2585, LOB 907, Albany, NY 12247, scousins@nysenate.gov
Michael Gianaris, Deputy Senate Majority Leader, (D-12) Astoria, (518) 455-3486,
Capitol 427, Albany, NY 12247, gianaris@nysenate.gov
Gustavo Rivera, Chair Senate Health Committee, (D-33) Bronx, (518) 455-3395, Capitol 502c, grivera@nyseante.gov
Sam Sutton, D-22, Brooklyn, (518) 455-2754, LOB 809, Albany, NY 12247, sutton@nysenate.gov
Sen Sutton refused to vote for S3958a in the Health Committee
Monica Martinez, D-4, Suffolk, (518) 455-2765, LOB 903, Albany, NY 12247,
Sen. Martinez voted No on S3958a in the Health Committee, and was one of only 4 Democrats who voted to protect the religious exemption in 2019
Peter Harckham, (D-40), Peekskill, (518) 455-2340, LOB 310, Albany, NY 12447, harckham@nysenate.gov
Harckham was one of only 4 Democratic Senators who voted to protect the religious exemption in 2019
Brian Kavanagh, (D-27) Lower Manhattan, (518) 455-2625, LOB 512, Albany, NY 12247, Kavanagh@nysenate.gov
Kavanagh was one of only 4 Democratic Senators who voted to protect the religious exemption in 2019
James Skoufis, S3958a Sponsor, (D-42), (518) 455-3290 LOB 612, Albany, NY 12247, skoufis@nysenate.gov
Siela Bynoe, (D-6) Garden City, (518) 455-3260, LOB 947, Albany, NY 12447, bynoe@nysenate.gov
Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, (D-23) Coney Island, (518) 455-2437, LOB 944, Albany, NY 12247, spanton@nysenate.gov
Jeremy Zellner, (D-61) Buffalo, (518) 455-3240, LOB 617, Albany, NY 12247, zellner@nysenate.gov
TALKING POINTS
First, is there any need for this bill? Are there demonstrable outbreaks in summer camps?
Only one other state, California, requires all campers to be up-to-date with the school schedule, 49 state, including New York have it wrong?
This bill just adds to the needless and unjust discrimination against people with religious beliefs that preclude some or all vaccinations since New York became in 2019 one of only 5 states that do not allow religious exemptions.
Medical exemptions are technically allowed in New York, but they are nearly impossible to get, as shown by New York having the lowest rate of medical exemptions of any state according to CDC.
This bill would also place a considerable administrative burden on camps.