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Maryland officials urge panel to approve VAX Act to preserve vaccine coverage and state recommendations
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Summary
The lieutenant governor and Maryland Department of Health told the Senate Finance Committee SB 385 would let the state issue clear vaccine, screening and preventive-service recommendations tied to insurance coverage and pharmacist authority; public commenters raised liability and corporate‑influence concerns.
Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller and Health Secretary Meena Seshmani asked the Senate Finance Committee on Feb. 10 for a favorable report on Senate Bill 385, known as the VAX Act, saying it would let Maryland anchor immunization and preventive‑service guidance in leading clinical organizations and preserve insurance coverage for recommended vaccines.
"I respectfully ask for your favorable report on senate bill 3 85," Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller said, presenting the administration's case that recent federal changes have created confusion for providers and families and that states must act to ensure continuity and clarity.
Secretary Seshmani said the bill would authorize the Maryland Department of Health to base state recommendations on guidance from medical societies including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She told senators the legislation "does not create new mandates for individuals" and "preserves private insurance coverage for recommended vaccines without cost sharing and maintains the ability of pharmacists to administer recommended vaccines."
Supporters at the hearing — pediatricians, the Maryland Board of Pharmacy, physician groups, pharmacists' organizations and local officials — said the bill would prevent gaps in access and avoid confusion if federal guidance changes. Pediatrician Monique Swallow Burke, who identified herself as a leader in the state AAP chapter, said rising patient confusion in clinic rooms makes a state standard and department backing necessary.
Opponents and public commenters raised legal and practical questions. Sarah Cusack of the Alliance for Science‑Based Policy warned that if Maryland diverges from federal recommendations, administrators and some vaccine administrators could lose liability protections created under the federal National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act. Other commenters argued the bill would import corporate‑sponsored professional guidance into law and risk mandating policy preferences from outside organizations.
Committee members pressed the administration on process and authority: how the department would make recommendations, whether public input would be required, and whether the change would create any de facto mandates for schools or employers. Department witnesses said the law would enable recommendations informed by professional societies and federal and state inputs, preserve pharmacists' vaccination authority and avoid new funding needs.
No formal committee vote was recorded during the hearing. The bill gathered both organized support from medical societies and organized public opposition focused on liability and governance, setting up follow‑up negotiations and possible technical amendments before any committee action.
