Petition to OPPOSE HB5044/*SB450
TO THE HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE CONNECTICUT GENERAL ASSEMBLY;
This petition is entered into the public record in opposition to House Bill 5044, An Act Establishing Connecticut Vaccine Standards and *Senate Bill 450, An Act Concerning the Standard of Care For Immunization. The undersigned submit this petition to object to the scope, structure, and legal consequences of the proposed legislation and to urge its rejection.
Both House Bill 5044 *and Senate Bill 450 effect a fundamental reallocation of public health authority in the State of Connecticut. It expands state defined immunization standards to include adults and simultaneously eliminates the regulatory oversight process through which such standards have historically been reviewed by elected officials. These changes represent a material departure from existing law and from established principles of legislative accountability.
While HB5044 *and SB450 do not immediately mandate adult vaccines it sets a dangerous precedent by centralizing authority in a way that enables future adult vaccine mandates, particularly workplace mandates, without legislative oversight.
By extending immunization standards beyond childhood and into the general adult population, the bill authorizes the imposition of medical schedules on adults without meaningful statutory exemptions or individualized legislative consideration. This expansion occurs in a legal context in which religious exemptions for children in educational settings were eliminated in 2021 and where adults are afforded no comparable protections. The result is a framework in which medical compliance may be compelled absent democratic consent or legislative deliberation.
Equally consequential is the removal of the regulatory review mechanism that currently governs the adoption and modification of immunization requirements. Existing law provides for oversight through a legislative regulatory process designed to ensure transparency, representation, and accountability. House Bill 5044 *and Senate Bill 450 abolishes that structure and transfers exclusive authority to the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health to establish, revise, and implement immunization standards without legislative approval.
This concentration of authority eliminates essential checks and balances, silences elected representation, and substitutes administrative discretion for democratic process. Decisions with direct implications for bodily autonomy, employment, education, and civil participation should not be insulated from legislative review or public scrutiny.
Public health policy in a constitutional system must remain subject to legislative oversight, public accountability, and restraint. House Bill 5044 *and Senate Bill 450 abandons these principles by consolidating policymaking authority within a single executive office. For these reasons, the undersigned oppose the expansion of immunization mandates to adults, the elimination of regulatory and legislative oversight, and the delegation of unilateral authority to the Department of Public Health.
Accordingly, the undersigned call upon the Connecticut General Assembly, the Public Health Committee, the Governor of the State of Connecticut, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health to reject House Bill 5044 *and Senate Bill 450 in its entirety and to preserve existing structures of oversight, representation, and individual medical autonomy.
Signed,
Connecticut Residents
This petition is entered into the public record in opposition to House Bill 5044, An Act Establishing Connecticut Vaccine Standards and *Senate Bill 450, An Act Concerning the Standard of Care For Immunization. The undersigned submit this petition to object to the scope, structure, and legal consequences of the proposed legislation and to urge its rejection.
Both House Bill 5044 *and Senate Bill 450 effect a fundamental reallocation of public health authority in the State of Connecticut. It expands state defined immunization standards to include adults and simultaneously eliminates the regulatory oversight process through which such standards have historically been reviewed by elected officials. These changes represent a material departure from existing law and from established principles of legislative accountability.
While HB5044 *and SB450 do not immediately mandate adult vaccines it sets a dangerous precedent by centralizing authority in a way that enables future adult vaccine mandates, particularly workplace mandates, without legislative oversight.
By extending immunization standards beyond childhood and into the general adult population, the bill authorizes the imposition of medical schedules on adults without meaningful statutory exemptions or individualized legislative consideration. This expansion occurs in a legal context in which religious exemptions for children in educational settings were eliminated in 2021 and where adults are afforded no comparable protections. The result is a framework in which medical compliance may be compelled absent democratic consent or legislative deliberation.
Equally consequential is the removal of the regulatory review mechanism that currently governs the adoption and modification of immunization requirements. Existing law provides for oversight through a legislative regulatory process designed to ensure transparency, representation, and accountability. House Bill 5044 *and Senate Bill 450 abolishes that structure and transfers exclusive authority to the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health to establish, revise, and implement immunization standards without legislative approval.
This concentration of authority eliminates essential checks and balances, silences elected representation, and substitutes administrative discretion for democratic process. Decisions with direct implications for bodily autonomy, employment, education, and civil participation should not be insulated from legislative review or public scrutiny.
Public health policy in a constitutional system must remain subject to legislative oversight, public accountability, and restraint. House Bill 5044 *and Senate Bill 450 abandons these principles by consolidating policymaking authority within a single executive office. For these reasons, the undersigned oppose the expansion of immunization mandates to adults, the elimination of regulatory and legislative oversight, and the delegation of unilateral authority to the Department of Public Health.
Accordingly, the undersigned call upon the Connecticut General Assembly, the Public Health Committee, the Governor of the State of Connecticut, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health to reject House Bill 5044 *and Senate Bill 450 in its entirety and to preserve existing structures of oversight, representation, and individual medical autonomy.
Signed,
Connecticut Residents
* = additional language that includes Sb450
On March 4, 2026 the CGA introduced a second twin bill SB450, which does the same thing as HB5044 but also adds that vaccines do not violate religious beliefs. This petition has been updated to reflect our objection to this twin bill.
On March 4, 2026 the CGA introduced a second twin bill SB450, which does the same thing as HB5044 but also adds that vaccines do not violate religious beliefs. This petition has been updated to reflect our objection to this twin bill.
Disclaimer
This petition is a grassroots advocacy effort organized by concerned Connecticut residents age 18+. Signing this petition does not constitute legal advice, does not create an attorney client relationship, and does not obligate any signer to take further action beyond expressing their opposition to HB5044. The views expressed in this petition represent the opinions of the signatories and organizers and are not intended to represent the official position of the State of Connecticut, the Connecticut General Assembly, the Department of Public Health, or any individual legislator. All information collected through this petition is used solely for advocacy, outreach, and communication related to HB5044 and related public policy matters. Petition language reflects the good-faith understanding of the bill and legislative process at the time of publication. Legislative language, hearing dates, and bill content may change as the 2026 Connecticut legislative session progresses.
This petition is a grassroots advocacy effort organized by concerned Connecticut residents age 18+. Signing this petition does not constitute legal advice, does not create an attorney client relationship, and does not obligate any signer to take further action beyond expressing their opposition to HB5044. The views expressed in this petition represent the opinions of the signatories and organizers and are not intended to represent the official position of the State of Connecticut, the Connecticut General Assembly, the Department of Public Health, or any individual legislator. All information collected through this petition is used solely for advocacy, outreach, and communication related to HB5044 and related public policy matters. Petition language reflects the good-faith understanding of the bill and legislative process at the time of publication. Legislative language, hearing dates, and bill content may change as the 2026 Connecticut legislative session progresses.