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Close to a dozen legislative sessions have now adjourned with many more heading to the home stretch soon. We expect to continue to see a lot of immunization-related legislative action. A recent analysis by the Network for Public Health Law details COVID-19-related legislation and broader proposed limitations on public health authority introduced in all 50 states and DC from September 1, 2021, through March 15, 2022. This confirms many of the trends we’ve been seeing in our analysis and includes:

234 bills that directly involve vaccines. Among the proposed changes were bills that would:

• Prohibit the state from recognizing certain federal vaccine mandates
• Prohibit state agencies and agents of the state from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination status
• Prohibit an employer from requiring that employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine as a pre-condition to employment
• Prohibit schools from requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for school attendance and activities

141 bills would result in shifts of authority which could impact vaccine requirements either from:

• A local public health agency to another local entity
• A local public health agency to state public health agency or state legislature
• A state public health agency to the state’s governor or state legislature
• A state executive to state legislature

An additional 109 bills impact emergency orders. These do not likely impact the federal emergency declarations that affect vaccine coverage, funding, and provider authority, but do underscore the connections and the public mood.

Finally, the webinar on lobbying and advocacy differences mentioned in this week’s policy tips video is called Public Health Advocacy: The Basics and is available from ChangeLab Solutions.