Section 2167. Immunization against meningococcal meningitis

1. As used in
  this section, unless the context requires otherwise:
    a. The term "student" means a person attending an institution and,  in
  the case of a student attending college, "student" means a person who is
  registered  to  attend  or who attends classes at an institution, who is
  enrolled for at least six semester hours or the equivalent per semester,
  or at least four semester hours per quarter.
    b. The term "institution" means an academy or college, as  defined  in
  section  two  of  the  education  law, or a children's overnight camp as
  defined in  section  one  thousand  three  hundred  ninety-two  of  this
  chapter,  where  the  person attending such camp remains overnight for a
  period of not fewer than seven days.
    c. The term "immunization" means an  adequate  dose  or  doses  of  an
  immunizing  agent  against  meningococcal  meningitis  which  meets  the
  standards approved by the United States public health service  for  such
  biological  products  and which is approved by the department under such
  conditions as may be specified by the public health council.
    2. Each institution shall distribute, in a form provided  or  approved
  by  the commissioner, written information about meningococcal meningitis
  and meningitis immunization to all students. The information provided by
  the institution shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
    a. a description of the disease and means of transmission;
    b. the benefits, risks, and effectiveness of immunization;
    c. the availability and cost of immunization, including an  indication
  of  whether  or  not  the  institution  offers  meningococcal meningitis
  immunization services.
    3. Each institution shall also  distribute,  in  a  form  provided  or
  approved by the commissioner of health, a response form, to be completed
  by the student or, where the student is under the age of eighteen years,
  such student's parent or guardian, which shall include the following:
    a.  The  student,  or if under the age of eighteen years the parent or
  guardian of the student, certifies that the student has already received
  immunization against  meningococcal  meningitis  within  the  ten  years
  preceding the date of the response form;
    b.  The  student,  or if under the age of eighteen years the parent or
  guardian of such student, has  received  and  reviewed  the  information
  provided  by  the  institution,  understands  the risks of meningococcal
  meningitis and the benefits of immunization, and has  decided  that  the
  student shall not obtain immunization against meningococcal meningitis.
    The  student,  or  if  under  the  age of eighteen years the parent or
  guardian of such student, shall indicate his or her decision in a box or
  space placed appropriately on the form and shall  return  the  completed
  form  to the institution. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed
  to prohibit an institution from incorporating the form required by  this
  subdivision  into  another  health  certificate  or form required by the
  institution.
    4. Each institution shall maintain completed response forms.
    5. No institution shall permit any student to attend  the  institution
  in  excess of thirty days without complying with this section; provided,
  however, that such thirty day period may be extended to  not  more  than
  sixty days if a student can show a good faith effort to comply with this
  section.
    6. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit institutions
  from   adopting   or   maintaining  more  stringent  policies  regarding
  immunization against meningococcal meningitis.