An Act To Improve Awareness of Meningococcal Disease
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1685
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: BRYANT, PATRICK, DAMON, DUNLAP, DUPLESSIE, GERZOFSKY, TOBIN

Legislative Document 
No. 1685 
S.P.617 
In Senate, December 17, 2003 
An Act To Improve Awareness of Meningococcal Disease 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on December 16, 2003. Referred to the Committee 
on Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 218. 
Presented by Senator BRYANT of Oxford. 
Cosponsored by Representative PATRICK of Rumford and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senator: DAMON of Hancock, Representatives: DUNLAP of Old Town, DUPLESSIE of 
Westbrook, GERZOFSKY of Brunswick, TOBIN of Dexter. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. 20·A MRSA §I0008 is enacted to read: 
§10008. 
Information on meningococcal disease immunization 
1. 
Provision 
of 
information. 
Each 
postsecondary 
institution incorporated, chartered or established under the laws 
of 
the 
State 
that 
has 
a 
residential 
campus 
shall 
provide 
vaccination 
information 
on 
meningococcal 
disease 
to 
each 
student. 
The 
vaccination 
information 
must 
be 
contained 
on 
student 
health 
forms 
provided 
to 
each 
student 
by 
the 
postsecondary institution and must include space for the student 
to 
indicate 
whether 
or 
not 
the 
student 
has 
received 
the 
vaccination 
against 
meningococcal 
disease. 
The 
vaccination 
information 
about 
meningococcal 
disease 
must 
include 
any 
recommendations 
issued 
by 
the 
national 
Centers 
for 
Disease 
Control and Prevention regarding the disease. 
2. 
Confidentia1ity. 
The vaccination information obtained 
under this section that is in the possession of the postsecondary 
institution is confidential and is not a public record under 
Title 1, chapter 13. 
3. 
Construction. 
This section may not be construed to 
require 
the 
postsecondary 
institution 
to 
provide 
the 
meningococcal vaccination to students. 
4. 
Reyiew. 
The joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over health and human services matters shall 
review the operation and effectiveness of this section and may 
report out to the Second Regular Session of the l23rd Legislature 
a bill to amend or repeal this section or to expand the program 
established under this section. 
5. 
Contingent repea1. 
This section is repealed if the 
national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer 
recommends the meningococcal vaccine. 
If the Department of Human 
Services receives notification from the national Centers 
for 
Disease Control and Prevention that the meningococcal vaccine is 
no 
longer 
recommended, 
the 
department 
shall 
forward 
that 
notification to the Office of the Revisor of Statutes. 
This 
bill 
institutions 
to 
requires 
provide 
SUMMARY 
public 
and 
meningococcal 
Page l-LR2220(1) 
private 
disease 
postsecondary 
immunization 
information to students if the 
campus. 
The bill also requires 
program in 5 years. 
institution has 
the Legislature 
a 
residential 
to review the