Starting tomorrow, it’s the law; Public notices, vaccine restrictions among Del. statutes

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http://www.newszap.com/articles/2005/12/30/dm/sussex_county/dsn05.txt DOVER — Beginning at the stroke of midnight Sunday, a few strokes on a computer keyboard will allow Delawareans to better stay abreast of what government officials are doing.A new law that takes effect Jan. 1 requires executive branch agencies in Delaware to electronically post meeting agendas and minutes to a central state Web site.Other laws that take effect Sunday include a prohibition on making vaccines with more than a trace amount of mercury available for administration to young children and pregnant women, (more below) and a provision allowing electronic filing of real estate transactions in county deed offices.The new electronic reporting law requires executive branch agencies that fall under

the provisions of the state Freedom of Information Act to post notices and agenda at least seven days in advance of open meetings. Agencies also must electronically post minutes of open meetings within five working days of final approval of the minutes.While many state agencies already post meeting notices on the Web, and a few post agendas and minutes, the new law will greatly expand the informational offerings electronically available to the public. “I think it’s a tremendous service, particularly the online access to minutes,” said Flaherty, lobbyist for the government watchdog group Common Cause. “I think it’s a tremendous increase in the public access to state agencies.”Ed McNeeley, information resources architect for state Government Information Center,

which is charged with maintaining the central calendar, said only minor tweaks had to be made to the system to accommodate the new law.“There were a few changes made, but not many,” he said. “We didn’t reinvent the wheel.”Among the changes is a new process under which an agency will get an e-mail reminder if minutes are not posted to the Web site within 30 days of a meeting. McNeeley said the 30-day period may be subject to change, given that some government bodies do not meet every month.“We ran a number of (training) sessions in November to make agencies comfortable with the application,” said Mr. McNeeley, adding that the system is set up to allow individual agencies to have links to central Web site that highlight their own events. While large

agencies such as the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control already provide a significant amount of information online, the new law also applies to smaller entities, such as the myriad boards and commissions overseen by the Division of Professional Regulation.Currently, very few of the 32 DPR boards and commissions, which range from the Commission on Adult Entertainment Establishments to the Board of Podiatry, publish meeting agendas or minutes online.“We do expect that will change,” Mr. McNeeley said.DPR deputy director Kay Warren said agency employees have been trained and are prepared to comply with the reporting requirements.“We are ready to implement that law,” she said.The new law regarding vaccines was passed in the waning hours of this year’s legislative session amid a nationwide debate over whether thimerosal and other mercury-containing preservatives in vaccines may be linked to childhood

autism.Effective Jan. 1, no vaccine that contains more than a trace amount of mercury, other than flu vaccine, can be made available to medical providers in Delaware for administration to pregnant women and children under eight years old.The prohibition on anything more than a trace amount of mercury, currently defined by the federal government as one microgram or less, extends to the flu vaccine effective Jan. 1, 2007. The law will prohibit administration of vaccines containing any mercury to pregnant women and young children beginning in 2008.None of the prohibitions on mercury-containing vaccines would apply during declared epidemics or states of emergency.The state Division of Public Health sent letters to medical providers on Oct. 3 to remind them of the new law. DPH deputy director Silverman noted that after Jan. 1, medical providers still will be allowed to administer mercury-containing vaccines they have on hand, but that they cannot accept any new shipments of vaccines with more than a trace amount of mercury.“The bill says only that it can’t be made available to the providers, but if they have some left over, they can use it up,” he said, noting that the same caveat applies to the flu vaccine next year.Mr. Silverman said three vaccines, all manufactured by Sanofi pasteur, will be affected by the law in 2006. One is a combined diptheria-tetanus vaccine, the others are a tetanus toxoid and a vaccine for bacterial meningitis.By 2008, 11 vaccine products would no longer be available in Delaware under the law, Mr. Silverman said.While the law has no enforcement mechanism, Mr. Silverman said the complete prohibition

on mercury-containing vaccines for children and pregnant women beginning in 2008 represents “an aggressive stance” for Delaware.“The vaccine companies are aware that there is a trend toward this kind of legislation,” he said.__________________________________________________