An Act to Increase Access to Critical Vaccinations
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2146
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: DAUGHTRY, FECTEAU
Amends: 22 MRSA §1066, 32 MRSA §13831

Legislative Document
No. 2146
S.P. 864
In Senate, January 7, 2026
An Act to Increase Access to Critical Vaccinations
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by President DAUGHTRY of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Senators: BAILEY of York, INGWERSEN of York, Representatives: Speaker 
FECTEAU of Biddeford, MATHIESON of Kittery, ZAGER of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §1066, sub-§3, ¶E, as amended by PL 2025, c. 440, §11 and 
affected by §17, is further amended to read:
E.  By January 1, 2011 and annually thereafter, the board shall determine the list of 
vaccines to be made available by the program during the succeeding program year 
beginning July 1st.  In making its determination, the board shall consider:
(1)  Vaccines that are available under contract with the United States Department 
of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, by 
direct manufacturer purchase, through the Minnesota Multistate Contracting 
Alliance for Pharmacy or a its successor organization, through the Northeast Public 
Health Collaborative or its successor organization or by any other low-cost bulk 
purchase option;
(2)  Recommendations of the department; and
(3)  Clinical and cost-benefit analyses.; and
(4)  Recommendations of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative or its 
successor organization as long as any recommendation preserves and strengthens 
access to vaccines as part of the routine standard of care; is based on evidence from 
scientific and public health experts; and is not intended to weaken or replace 
evidence-based immunization standards of the United States Department of Health 
and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory 
Committee on Immunization Practices or its successor organization.
The board shall review new vaccines and update the list of vaccines to be made 
available through the program on a timely basis in accordance with the considerations 
described in this paragraph.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §1066, sub-§5, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 595, §2, is 
amended to read:
F.  If the combination of funding available from the United States Department of Health 
and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vaccines for 
Children Program and the immunization grant program under the federal Public Health 
Service Act, Section 1928 of the Social Security Act, 42 United States Code, Section 
1396s is insufficient to provide coverage for vaccines for the children who qualify for 
vaccines under the Vaccines for Children Program, money from the fund may not be 
used to cover the cost of vaccines for children who would otherwise be provided 
vaccines under the Vaccines for Children Program, except that the board may request 
funding from the State to cover the cost of vaccines for children who qualify for 
vaccines under the Vaccines for Children Program for those vaccines that are 
recommended by the department or the Northeast Public Health Collaborative or its 
successor organization in accordance with subsection 3, paragraph E.  Any funding 
request made by the board under this paragraph is subject to legislative approval in the 
biennial budget process.  The board shall submit the funding request to the State Budget 
Officer in accordance with the provisions of law that apply to departments of State 
Government and Title 5, section 1665.  At the same time that the funding request is 
submitted to the State Budget Officer, the board shall also notify the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services 
matters of the amount of the funding request.
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §1066, sub-§5, ¶G, as amended by PL 2025, c. 440, §12 and 
affected by §17, is further amended to read:
G.  If the assessments under this subsection are insufficient to cover the cost of vaccines 
to be provided to individuals covered by assessed entities, the State is not required to 
cover the cost of vaccines for those individuals, except as otherwise provided in 
paragraph F.
Sec. 4.  32 MRSA §13831, sub-§8 is enacted to read:
8.  Immunity from liability.  A pharmacist licensed in this State who meets the 
qualifications and requirements of section 13832 and rules adopted by the board is not 
liable in any civil action alleging negligence for the act of administering a vaccine that is 
outside the guidelines recommended by the United States Department of Health and 
Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on 
Immunization Practices, or its successor organization, as long as the administration of the 
vaccine is in accordance with guidelines recommended by the State or the Northeast Public 
Health Collaborative or its successor organization.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Maine Vaccine Board to consider vaccines that are recommended 
by and available through the Northeast Public Health Collaborative or its successor 
organization when making its annual determination of vaccines that must be made available 
through the Universal Immunization Program.  If federal funding is not available for certain 
vaccines under the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, Vaccines for Children Program, the bill also authorizes 
the Maine Vaccine Board to request state funding to cover the costs of vaccines for children 
who qualify for vaccines under the Vaccines for Children Program for those vaccines that 
are recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services or the Northeast Public 
Health Collaborative or its successor organization.  
The bill provides a pharmacist licensed in this State with immunity from liability for 
negligence for administering a vaccine that is outside the guidelines recommended by the 
United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or its successor organization, 
as long as the administration of the vaccine is in accordance with guidelines recommended 
by the State or the Northeast Public Health Collaborative or its successor organization.