New bills have been introduced for the 2020 – 2021 Legislative Session. S902 and A969 are the same as the prior session’s S2173/A3818. These bills would eliminate NJ’s Religious Exemption.

Directly under these bills is a list of things you can to throughout the year to prevent them from moving forward.

Finally, there are additional bills listed at the bottom of this page as well as a description of where this is all leading with the further removal of individual rights and mandatory adult vaccination.

S902/A969: Clarifies statutory exemptions from mandatory immunization requirements for child care center and school attendance. Identical Bill Number: S2173/A3818 Sponsors: Sweeney/Conway; Removed the Religious Exemption.

What you can do:

1. Stay Informed – sign up for NJ Vaccine Science action alerts via email, check our Advocacy Home page and our Blog for action items, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.
2. Call and Email your Senator and Assemblymembers – ask them to oppose bill S902/A969. Use this link to find your representatives’ phone number and send them a message.
3. Call and Email the Bill Sponsors:  Senate President Sweeney: sensweeney@njleg.org / 856-251-9801; Assemblyman Conway asmconway@njleg.org / (856) 461-3997
4. Meet with your Representatives: When you talk to your Senator and Assemblymembers request you met with them to discuss the CDC science that shows herd immunity doesn’t exist from vaccines.
5. Spread the Word: Talk to people you know, write a letter to the editor, set up meeting with people in your town to talk about NJ’s Religious Exemption and herd immunity.

S903: Clarifies statutory exemptions from mandatory immunizations for students. Sponsor: Weinberg; Tightens the Religious Exemption.

A1603: Requires human papillomavirus vaccinations (HPV) for students in grades six through 12.

S398: Recognizes right of minors aged 14 years or older to consent to Vaccination.

A1980: Revises access and reporting requirements for New Jersey Immunization Information System.

NJ’s Religious Exemption is long-standing and firmly based in NJ’s constitution. It allows for an an individual to make decision regarding medical interventions that carry risked based upon their belief system. N.J.S.A. 26:1A-9.1 makes it very clear that “the request does not need to identify membership in a recognized church or religious denomination or describe how the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with the student’s religious beliefs in order for the request to be granted.”

It seems very clear when you review the HHS “National Adult Immunization Plan” (NAIP) and the Healthy People 2020 website (HP2020) that mandatory adult immunization is on its way. Despite all the concern for herd immunity and childhood vaccinations, adult vaccination rates are around or below 50% according to the CDC. A good question for our Senators is why all the concern for vaccinating children, when adults make up about 80% of the NJ’s population and are extremely under-vaccinated? Is it because herd immunity doesn’t really matter or is it simply a matter of bad optics: mandating vaccinations for all of NJ’s citizens is an egregious governmental overreach at a time when we are not actually facing a public health crisis.