Permits dentists to administer influenza and COVID vaccinations and vaccinations related to a declared public health emergency; requires dentists to report such vaccinations.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A3894A
SPONSOR: Weprin TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to permitting dentists to
administer influenza and COVID vaccinations and vaccinations related to
a public health emergency
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends section 6601 of the education law to authorize dentists
to administer COVID-19, influenza vaccinations, and other vaccinations
related to a public health emergency.
Section 2 provides for an immediate effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Since the authorizing Executive Order expired in June 2021, dentists are
no longer permitted to administer COVID-19, influenza vaccinations, and
other vaccinations related to public health emergencies. Every dentist
in New York must have a four-year undergraduate degree, complete four
years of dental school, complete a one-year residency program, and pass
a National Dental Board examination. Dentists can administer Novocain
and other injectable medications. From a clinical perspective, dentists
certainly are just as qualified to administer vaccines as other profes-
sionals, such as pharmacists, nurses, physician assistants, and other
health paraprofessionals currently authorized to administer vaccines.
Dentists frequently communicate with primary care professionals and
other medical professionals to provide wholistic care around a patient.
This is particularly true where the dentist works in or with a federally
qualified health clinic (FQHC). FQHCs provide a wide range of services
including specialty, dental, sexual health, and primary and preventive
Care -- to underserved communities.
Allowing dentists to administer vaccinations provides patients with
immediate access. Dentists can address questions and, when appropriate,
administer vaccinations when a patient is already at a medical appoint-
ment. This saves the patient from having to go somewhere. else, take
additional time off from work or school and/or find someone to take care
of a family member.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3894--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Higher Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to permitting dentists to
administer influenza and COVID vaccinations and vaccinations related
to a public health emergency
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 6601 of the education law, as amended by chapter
2 576 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 6601. Definition of practice of dentistry. The practice of the
4 profession of dentistry is defined as diagnosing, treating, operating,
5 or prescribing for any disease, pain, injury, deformity, or physical
6 condition of the oral and maxillofacial area related to restoring and
7 maintaining dental health. The practice of dentistry includes the
8 prescribing and fabrication of dental prostheses and appliances. The
9 practice of dentistry may include performing physical evaluations in
10 conjunction with the provision of dental treatment and the adminis-
11 tration of vaccinations against influenza and SARS-CoV-2 and vaccina-
12 tions related to a declared public health emergency. Dentists shall be
13 authorized users and report such vaccinations in accordance with the
14 requirements in section twenty-one hundred sixty-eight of the public
15 health law.
16 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
17 it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07634-03-5
