YOU DID IT! You Killed SB378 ! Senator Kagan pulled it under pressure.
Now we have to kill SB 372 (Cross-filed as HB1232)
This bill bypasses Parental Rights and Medical Informed Consent.
Oppose SB 372 – This bill would give pharmacists the authority to call the shots and administer vaccines for children 3 and older without parental knowledge or informed consent.
Link to SB372: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2023RS/bills/sb/sb0372F.pdf
The hearing is on February 28nd at 1 pm in the he Senate Finance Committee.
Testimony can be in person or by Zoom but in the Senate, you have to register one business day before the hearing between 8 am and 3 pm. To sign up for MyMGA click here: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Account/Login
If February 27th at 3 pm has past, it is too late to testify but you can still call or write to the legislators listed below to oppose SB372 . It is also crossfiled as HB1232. A hearing date in that chamber has not yet be posted. We will alert you when that hearing is scheduled to occur so that you can sign up on MyMGA to testify then.
Reasons to oppose the bill:
1. Pharmacies are not doctor’s offices and pharmacists are not doctors. They should not have the authority to ORDER and vaccinate our children even more so without parental or guardian informed consent or knowledge.
2. Childhood vaccination rates in Maryland are among the highest in the nation between 90% and 98%. Doctors offices are meeting any public health need for childhood vaccinations.
3. This bill was originally part of an Emergency Use Authorization bill which was intended to expire by the end of 2022. It did not pass in 2022 and there is no need for a continued Emergency Use Authorization bill for a pandemic which has passed.
4. If this bill becomes law, youth and teens who do go places independently would be prime targets to solicit for vaccinations and they are not able to assess personal risk/benefit for vaccines.
ACTION:
At the very least, call or email Members of the Finance Committee which are listed below and ask them to vote UNFAVORABLE for SB372.
Bill Sponsor, Senator Malcolm Augustine: malcolm.augustine@senate.state.md.us Phone 410-841-3745 | 301-858-3745 Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3745
Senate Finance Committee Members: (Hearing date is February 28, 2023 at 1 pm)
melony.griffith@senate.state.md.us; kane.klausemeier@senate.state.md.us; pamela.beidle@senate.state.md.us; arthur.ellis@senate.state.md.us; dawn.gile@senate.state.md.us; antonio.hayes@senate.state.md.us; steve.hershey@senate.state.md.us; ben.kramer@senate.state.md.us; clarence.lam@senate.state.md.us; johnny.mautz@senate.state.md.us; justin.ready@senate.state.md.us
Chair: Melony Griffith melony.griffith@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3127 | 301-858-3127
Vice Chair: Senator Katherine Klausmeiertheri kane.klausemeier@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3620 | 301-858-3620
Pamela Beidle pamela.beidle@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3593 | 301-970-3593
Arthur Ellis arthur.ellis@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3616 | 301-858-3616
Dawn Gile dawn.gile@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3568 | 301-858-3568
Antonio Hayes antonio.hayes@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3656 | 301-858-3656
Stephen S. Hershey, steve.hershey@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3639 | 301-858-3639
Benjamin F. Kramer ben.kramer@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3151 | 301-858-3151
Clarence K. Lam clarence.lam@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3653 | 301-858-3653
Johnny Mautz johnny.mautz@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3590 | 301-858-3590
Justin Ready justin.ready@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3683 | 301-858-3683
For more information or help contact us at info@healthchoicemaryland.org