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: [email protected]                                                                                                                  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)

[email protected];  ka[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; steve.[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Chair: Melony Griffith [email protected] 410-841-3127 | 301-858-3127

Vice Chair: Senator Katherine Klausmeiertheri ka[email protected] 410-841-3620 | 301-858-3620

Pamela Beidle [email protected] 410-841-3593 | 301-970-3593

Arthur Ellis [email protected] 410-841-3616 | 301-858-3616

Dawn Gile [email protected] 410-841-3568 | 301-858-3568

Antonio Hayes antonio.hayes@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3656 | 301-858-3656

Stephen S. Hershey, steve.[email protected] 410-841-3639 | 301-858-3639

Benjamin F. Kramer [email protected] 410-841-3151 | 301-858-3151

Clarence K. Lam [email protected] 410-841-3653 | 301-858-3653

Johnny Mautz [email protected] 410-841-3590 | 301-858-3590

Justin Ready [email protected] 410-841-3683 | 301-858-3683

For more information or help contact us at [email protected]