S 8495: Provides that licensed pharmacists may administer certain vaccines where a non-patient specific order exists or immunizations are authorized by the commissioner of health and are recommended for use by the New York state immunization advisory council or are identified by the department of health as necessary to address public health emergencies, outbreaks, or chronic disease prevention.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8495 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE September 3, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. LIU -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to allowing pharmacists to administer certain vaccines pursuant to a statewide order; and to amend the public health law, in relation to the authority of the commissioner of health The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph (e) of subdivision 2 of section 6801 of the 2 education law, as amended by section 1 of part DD of chapter 57 of the 3 laws of 2018, is amended to read as follows: 4 (e) administer the immunization or immunizations: (i) according to the 5 most current recommendations by the advisory committee for immunization 6 practices (ACIP), provided however, that a pharmacist may administer any 7 immunization authorized under this section when specified by a patient 8 specific order[.]; or (ii) where a non-patient specific order exists or 9 such immunization or immunizations are: 10 (A) authorized by the commissioner of health through a statewide 11 protocol, provided that such vaccine is approved or authorized by the 12 United States Food and Drug Administration; and 13 (B) (1) recommended for use by the New York state immunization advi- 14 sory council; or 15 (2) identified by the department of health as necessary to address 16 public health emergencies, outbreaks, or chronic disease prevention. 17 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 206 of the public health law is amended 18 by adding a new paragraph (x) to read as follows: 19 (x) have the authority to issue statewide standing orders authorizing 20 pharmacists licensed pursuant to section sixty-eight hundred five of the 21 education law to administer any vaccine approved or authorized by the 22 United States Food and Drug Administration, based on recommendations 23 from the New York state immunization advisory council, or in response to EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD13694-03-5 
 S. 8495 2 1 public health emergencies, outbreaks, or chronic disease prevention 2 irrespective of its inclusion on the Centers for Disease Control and 3 Prevention immunization schedule. 4 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.