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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4022 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1446
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Patrick Joseph Kearney
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act clarifying Meningococcal Vaccine Policy.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth1/17/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4022 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1446
By Representative Kearney of Scituate, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1446) of
Patrick Joseph Kearney relative to college student immunization for meningococcal disease.
Higher Education.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act clarifying Meningococcal Vaccine Policy.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Section 15D of Chapter 76 of the Massachusetts General Laws is hereby amended by
2striking the original Section 15D and replacing it with the following:
3 “Section 15D. Section 15D. No newly enrolled full-time student attending a college,
4university or secondary school shall be registered at the institution except upon presentation of a
5medical certificate that the student has been immunized against meningococcal disease in
6accordance with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
7Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or on the condition that a medical certificate
8documenting immunization against meningococcal disease shall be provided within 30 days of
9registration; but a student may be registered at the institution upon certification made, in writing,
10by a physician who has personally examined the student and in whose opinion the physical
11condition of the student is such that his health would be endangered by the immunization. The
12department of public health shall promulgate rules and regulations and additional guidance for 2 of 2
13enforcement of this section in accordance with section 15 of this chapter. In the absence of an
14emergency or epidemic of disease declared by the department of public health, no student who
15states in writing that immunization would conflict with his religious beliefs shall be required to
16present the medical certificate in order to be admitted to the institution. This section shall not
17require an institution to provide the vaccine or the expense for the vaccine against
18meningococcal disease.