File #: Int 1337-2025    Version: * Name: Distributing information on vaccines to parents of students in New York city schools.
Type: Introduction Status: Committee
Committee: Committee on Education
On agenda: 7/14/2025
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to distributing information on vaccines to parents of students in New York city schools
Sponsors: Shekar Krishnan
Council Member Sponsors: 1
Summary: This bill would require the Department of Education (DOE), in collaboration with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, to develop informational materials about vaccines, which the DOE would also be required to distribute to parents of all New York City public school students, including those enrolled in early childhood programs such as 3-K and pre-K. At a minimum, these materials must include general information on how vaccines work, their public health benefits, their safety, and where to access vaccines required for school attendance.
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 1337, 2. Int. No. 1337, 3. July 14, 2025 - Stated Meeting Agenda

Int. No. 1337

 

By Council Member Krishnan

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to distributing information on vaccines to parents of students in New York city schools

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Chapter 8 of title 21-A of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-969.3 to read as follows:

§ 21-969.3 Distribution of informational materials on vaccines. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Home language. The term “home language” means the language most frequently used in the student's home, as indicated by the response provided by the parent or person in parental relation on the home language questionnaire as that term is defined in section 154-2.2 of title 8 of the New York codes, rules and regulations, regarding services for English language learners, or a successor provision.

Preschool. The term “preschool” means an early childhood education program operated by, or pursuant to a contract with, the department that serves children aged two to five not enrolled in kindergarten.

School. The term “school” means a school of the city school district of the city of New York that contains any combination of grades from and including preschool through grade 12.

School-based health center. The term “school-based health center” means a facility located within a school building that provides on-site health care services to students within such school building and is operated by independent institutions, including, but not limited to, hospitals and community based organizations.

b. Development of materials. The department, in collaboration with the department of health and mental hygiene, shall develop informational materials about vaccines. At a minimum, such materials shall include:

1. General information on how vaccines work;

2. Information on the public health benefits of vaccines, including their role in disease prevention;

3. Information on the safety of vaccines, including information addressing common misconceptions about vaccine safety; and

4. Information on locations where vaccines required for school attendance may be obtained, including city-run facilities.

c. Distribution of materials. No later than 90 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section, and by September 1 in each academic year thereafter, the department shall distribute to each school, for distribution to the parents of each student attending such school, the materials developed pursuant to subdivision b of this section. Such distribution shall be in hard copy or electronically, if distribution of other similar documents occurs electronically, using plain and simple language. Hard copies of the materials shall also be made available in the main or central office of each school and in each school-based health center.

d. Language accessibility. The materials required to be distributed pursuant to subdivision c of this section shall be made available in English, the 9 most common home languages of students enrolled in schools, and any additional languages as determined by the department.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

 

 

NJF

LS #18433

06/10/2025 3:20 PM