TRENTON, N.J. – A heated hearing before the Assembly Health Committee Monday exposed sharp partisan divides over a Democrat-backed bill that would transfer New Jersey’s immunization authority from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the state Department of Health.
That debate ended in defeat for Republicans as Governor Murphy later signed the bill into law.
Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation updating New Jersey’s laws to ensure immunization guidance is state-based and aligning health insurance coverage requirements with that guidance from the New Jersey Department of Health. Concurrently, NJDOH is announcing that a comprehensive update to N.J.A.C. 8:57 will be adopted on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in the New Jersey Register. Together, these actions will ensure New Jersey’s communicable disease protocols remain grounded in best practices and evidence, while helping keep our families safeguarded against preventable communicable diseases.
The measure, Assembly Bill 6166, moved responsibility for setting vaccination schedules and policies away from federal oversight to state-level decision-making. Supporters say the change gives New Jersey more flexibility and independence, while opponents warn it could erode transparency, weaken public trust, and complicate vaccine injury reporting and compensation.
Acting Health Commissioner Jeffrey Brown, one of the few to testify in support of the measure, drew backlash from Republicans after taking political jabs at the federal government. Assemblyman Erik Peterson (R-Hunterdon) fired back, citing the state’s handling of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities. “You have a lot of derogatory things to say about the federal government,” Peterson said. “Some of us have no faith in the Health Department in the state of New Jersey. During COVID, the Health Department thought it was wise to put COVID-infected people into nursing homes, killing 8,000 people. Instead of using Trump’s mercy ships and field hospitals, you put them in nursing homes. So why should we have any faith in you?”
Committee chair and bill sponsor Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D-Burlington) cut off further questioning after the exchange, drawing further criticism from Republican members.
“This year, we have seen the federal government diverge and waffle on evidence-based recommendations from trusted health professionals – rewriting federal vaccine guidance to the detriment of our communities and putting our most vulnerable residents at risk, particularly our children,” said Governor Murphy. “We take seriously our responsibility to preserve and protect public health, which is why we have mobilized quickly to mitigate the harmful impact of these dangerous policy changes. Today’s bill signing is yet another action by our Administration to provide equitable access to vaccines, achieve community protection, and build sustained trust in vaccinations.”
Assemblywoman DeAnne DeFuccio Azzariti (R-Bergen) said she was denied the opportunity to ask key questions. “What is the process by which the decisions are going to be made? Who decides? Are we adding more vaccines? Are we taking them away?” she asked before voting against the measure. “We need legislative oversight, public input, transparency, and clear exemptions so people can trust government.”
Republicans on the committee raised multiple concerns about how the change could affect the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and the federal National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, both of which rely on CDC guidance to determine eligibility for reporting and reimbursement.
“The precedent and the law currently hold that for there to be a vaccine reportable injury, it is the guidance of the CDC that would control whether there is a reimbursable outcome,” Assemblyman Brian Rumpf (R-Ocean) said. “If we are changing the whole system, I think the VAERS system becomes mute.”
Democrats on the committee did not provide detailed answers to questions about how vaccine injury reporting or compensation would be handled under a state-based framework.
At the Department of Health, we are doing everything in our power to protect public health and to keep our vaccination infrastructure safe, effective, and based solely on evidence and science. Everyone is encouraged to stay up to date on vaccines to protect themselves and their loved ones,” said Acting Health Commissioner Jeff Brown. “Over the past year, we have seen that ACIP’s recommendations are not reliably aligned with evidence-based recommendations from trusted health care professionals and risk causing major harm, especially to children. This act will ensure that vaccination policy in our state is guided by the best available science, safeguards children and families, and restores trust in our public health system. I commend the sponsors of this legislation for their tireless advocacy in support of expanding vaccine access and coverage.”
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which has shaped federal vaccine policy for decades, recently voted to scale back its hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation. Its guidance not only influences national public health policy but also determines which vaccines are covered by private insurance and Medicaid.
Under current state law, New Jersey health insurers must cover vaccines that receive an active recommendation from the federal advisory committee. If the bill becomes law, that authority would rest solely with the state Health Department.
Despite Republican objections, all Democrats voted to advance the bill, which already passed the state Senate in December by a 25-12 vote.
