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Maryland lawmakers are considering legislation that would fundamentally change how vaccine policies are set.
SB385 (and its companion HB637)— known collectively as the “Vax Act” — would give the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health (an unelected, appointed official) broad authority to issue statewide official recommendations on immunizations, screenings, and other preventive services.
Those recommendations could then influence insurance coverage rules, pharmacist administration authority, and other healthcare policy matters — all without full debate or approval by your elected lawmakers.
These bills remove legislative oversight, reduce transparency, and centralize power over critical healthcare decisions in the hands of unelected officials.
Your voice matters — legislators pay close attention when constituents reach out with personalized messages. This is your chance to be heard.
TAKE ACTION
Contact your State Senator and Delegate and urge them to oppose SB385 and HB637.
Find your Maryland legislators here:
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/District
Phone calls are most effective, but emails help too.
SAMPLE SCRIPT
“Hello, my name is ___ and I’m a constituent. I’m calling to urge Senator____ to OPPOSE SB385 (or Delegate____ to OPPOSE HB637).
These bills shift authority over vaccine and preventive health policy from elected lawmakers to unelected health department officials.
Public health decisions that affect all Maryland families should remain subject to oversight and debate by our elected representatives, not decided by bureaucratic decree.
Please oppose SB385 (or HB637) and protect legislative oversight, transparency, and accountability.
Thank you.”
TALKING POINTS
1. These bills transfer decision-making power over major public health policies from the General Assembly to the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health, an appointed official who is not directly accountable to voters. This bypasses the legislative process designed to ensure transparency, debate, and public input.
2. Unelected officials would effectively set statewide healthcare standards under this legislation; the Secretary’s recommendations on immunizations, preventive screenings, insurance coverage, and related healthcare policies could function as de facto standards—without a legislative vote or meaningful oversight by elected representatives.
3. Policies developed by the Department of Health may influence which services insurers are required to cover and how vaccines and preventive services are administered, impacting all Maryland families without legislative review.
4. SB385 and HB637 direct the Secretary to base recommendations on national medical and professional organizations, which are trade associations rather than independent, non-partisan public bodies. This raises concerns about conflicts of interest and limits public accountability.
5. Public health policy should be developed through open debate and enacted by elected officials who are accountable to the public—not established through administrative action alone.
6. Granting broad policy authority to unelected officials risks normalizing governance by administrative decree and opens the door to future health mandates enacted without full legislative scrutiny or public participation.
MORE INFORMATION
SB385 — Bill text, status & history:
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0385?ys=2026RS
HB637 — Bill text, status & history:
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0637?ys=2026RS
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