S 8334 New York Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Relates to insurance reimbursement for vaccination for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

S 8334 requires health insurance plans to cover all recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (SARS-CoV-2), adding it to a list of mandatory immunizations already covered by New York insurance law. This affects insurance companies, healthcare providers, and patients by mandating reimbursement for the vaccine without cost-sharing. The bill amends multiple sections of New York’s insurance and social services laws to include "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" in required coverage, aligning with federal standards for biological products. It applies to all insurance contracts effective January 1 after the law takes effect.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jun 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Assembly Passage
Governor
Introduced Jun 3, 2025 Last action Mar 4, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

S8334 S8334A · 4 edits
MODERATE
This bill was amended to recommit it to the Committee on Insurance for further review and to update the text of the act. The substantive policy content regarding insurance reimbursement for COVID-19 vaccinations remains largely unchanged, though the definition of vaccination administration in pharmacies was expanded to reference broader medical standards and guidelines from recognized health organizations.
Scope change
The bill was formally reclassified from S. 8334 to S. 8334-A and recommitted to the Committee on Insurance per Senate Rule 6, section 8, indicating it is now under the jurisdiction of the Insurance Committee rather than Rules Committee.
TECHNICAL

Bill number changed from S. 8334 to S. 8334-A to reflect its amended status in the legislative process.

Committee assignment changed from Committee on Rules to Committee on Insurance, requiring the bill to be reviewed by insurance specialists before final passage.

Minor formatting changes including updated page numbers and line numbers in the legislative document.

REQUIREMENT

Section 4 was expanded to require pharmacy vaccinations to follow regulations issued by the commissioner and consider recommendations from nationally recognized medical organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Floor votes · Senate Jun 9, 2025

How they voted

539
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 63
Jun 9, 2025
D Democratic41
41 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican22
12 Yea 9 Nay 1
54% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
3
Committee
4
Amendments
1
Mar 4, 2026
Committee
REFERRED TO INSURANCE
lower
Mar 4, 2026
Upper · Passed
PASSED SENATE
upper
Feb 24, 2026
Upper · Passed
AMENDED ON THIRD READING 8334A
upper
Jan 7, 2026
Committee
REFERRED TO INSURANCE
upper
Jun 9, 2025
Committee
REFERRED TO INSURANCE
lower
Jun 9, 2025
Upper · Passed
PASSED SENATE
upper
Jun 3, 2025
Committee
REFERRED TO RULES
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Andrew Gounardes
Andrew Gounardes
DDemocratic
NY
26