Legislative Update

Support for Philosophical Exemption;

Oppose Mandating All Vaccines Recommended by the CDC

On June 9, NAA NY Metro chapter reached out to its community, asking that people call their New York State legislators to oppose the bill mandating all vaccines recommended by the CDC (A10942); and request passage of the bill that would give individuals a right to a philosophical exemption from vaccine mandates (A5468/S3031). It was also requested that the President of the Senate be called, asking not to draft a companion bill to Assembly Bill A10942. Contact information for the legislators was provided, as well as suggested talking points.

Support for Capacity Assessment & Service Delivery Needs - OMMRD

On June 11, upon request from the NYS Minority CouncilŐs office, the NAA NY Metro, in collaboration with NAA, provided its position on Assembly Bill 11275. The bill call for the commissioner of the office of mental retardation and developmental disabilities to report to the legislature regarding services to persons with autism spectrum disorder, on the OMRDD's current capabilities and future service delivery needs for person with autism. It requires the report to be submitted to the legislature within one year of the effective date, and is effective immediately.

The following was presented as NAA position:

"We support this bill and are pleased to know that an initiative is being undertaken to address capacity issues within the OMRRD. However, we believe that one year is too long a period for this assessment. As the need is so urgent, we believe the initiative should be fast-tracked. We would also like to see a collaborative effort in the development of this report with associations such as the National Autism Association and similar advocacy groups, who should be consulted in the capacity assessment in outlining future service delivery needs.

We hope that this bill sets a precedent for other departments that provide services for persons with autism. Since autism is a spectrum of disorders that can include mental retardation and developmental limitations, we would like to see a similar bill introduced for the Department of Education to address the range of capacity issues in the education system."

What's Happening

Visit A-CHAMP, Advocates for Children's Health Affected by Mercury Poisoning.