On Thursday, December 12, the New Jersey Senate Health Committee will hold a hearing on bill S2173 that would repeal the religious exemption to vaccination. If the bill passes out of the 10-member committee, the bill would advance to a vote before the entire Senate and Assembly, possibly as early as Monday, December 16. The text of the bill is identical to A3818.
S2173 would take effect immediately and would eliminate all non-medical exemptions. It would leave guidelines for medical exemptions to state health authorities. Judging by California, New York and Maine, such medical exemptions would be exceedingly narrow.