04/16/2004 01:38 PM Senate HES

           SB 243-POSTSECONDARY STUDENT IMMUNIZATION                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
The committee took up SB 243.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. PAULA  CADIENTE, staff  to Senator  Kim Elton,  presented the                                                               
bill  on behalf  of  the sponsor,  and said  the  bill was  heard                                                               
several  weeks ago,  when the  question  of whether  it would  be                                                               
problematic  for  the universities  had  been  brought up.    She                                                               
reported  that  most of  the  universities  send out  information                                                               
about  immunization  or  have   information  available  on  their                                                               
websites.  UAA  currently mails information to  students with the                                                               
housing  applications and  has a  form for  students to  indicate                                                               
they've received  the information.   UAF's Center for  Health and                                                               
Counseling's  website has  a policy  recommendation for  optional                                                               
immunization and  lists the  vaccine -which may  be subject  to a                                                               
fee  - as  being available  at  the center.   UAS  does not  mail                                                               
anything to  students, but possibly provides  information on this                                                               
at freshman  orientation.  When  a freshman comes to  the nurse's                                                               
office,  she   recommends  receiving   an  immunization   at  the                                                               
student's expense.  On the  Alaska Pacific University's emergency                                                               
medical   and   contact   information   form,   immunization   is                                                               
recommended for students.  As  a private college, Sheldon Jackson                                                               
College does  not send  out any  information and  said it  is not                                                               
subject  to the  requirement that  students to  provide proof  of                                                               
immunizations;   however,  it   would  be   happy  to   send  out                                                               
information or  post it on its  health website.  The  Division of                                                               
Public Health  said that although  meningococcal meningitis  is a                                                               
top  emergency   priority,  the   division  is   concerned  about                                                               
liability of legislation only because  a public health concern is                                                               
heightened.   The  Division would  be more  comfortable with  the                                                               
bill if the requirement for a signature were eliminated.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GUESS moved  to  report  SB 243  out  of committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations and attached zero fiscal notes.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON  asked if  there  was  any  objection.   Seeing  and                                                               
hearing none, it was so ordered.