Hundreds testify as Connecticut hearing debates bill to let health commissioner set vaccine standards

Chairs Anwar and McCarthy Vahey convened the Public Health Committee on March 12, 2026, for a hearing on two companion bills—House Bill 5044 and Senate Bill 450—that would let the state’s public health commissioner establish a vaccine standard for Connecticut residents and change how the state treats religious challenges to vaccine policy. The committee voted on a procedural motion to limit testimony; the motion passed by a recorded tally and the chair announced the motion had passed.

Supporters, including Department of Public Health Commissioner Jutani, told lawmakers the bills are intended to preserve Connecticut residents’ access to vaccines and insurance coverage if federal advisory guidance changed. "The overarching goal of this bill is to maintain the status quo for access to vaccines in the state," the commissioner told the committee, repeatedly stressing she said the bills do not create immediate mandates and that the adult standard is a mechanism to ensure…