"An Act relating to immunization for meningitis of postsecondary students residing on campus and directing the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs to seek additional funding to support tuition waivers and assistance. "

Meningococcal disease is a seriously contagious, but preventable bacterial infection that can quickly impair or even be fatal if gone unnoticed. It spreads through the air or from person to person through oral contact or sharing of items. Given that knowledge, it is quite obvious that college dormitories would be an ideal breeding ground for meningitis. In order to better inform students of this risk, legislation was enacted in 2005 to require that post-secondary education facilities inform its students of the risks of meningitis and retrieve signed documentation that the student has received this information. This is a provision that was newly enacted with the passage of HB 185 in 2005.

A consequence of this legislation is that now even post-secondary schools that do not have on-campus dormitories or overnight facilities must disseminate related advisory information, obtain signed statements acknowledging receipt of the information by each student, and retain these records on file. This would include "day school" type programs and short-course programs such as software training or other similar avocational workshops where students are on site only for their instruction. The schools and training facilities in question do not offer residential living options, making the application of this notice and records retention requirement inappropriate to the circumstance. Doing so creates an undue administrative burden for the short-course and nonresidential school administrators and the students they serve.

SB 251 would ensure that they be exempted from the notification requirement currently in place, while insuring that students who will be utilizing school residential facilities are advised of related health risks prior to taking up residence there.

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