WHEREAS, New York State, throughout the global COVID-19 crisis, has consistently taken a leadership role in ensuring that New Yorkers have access to COVID-19 vaccinations; and

WHEREAS, New York State has been and continues to be proactive in ensuring that residents can return to key activities as soon as possible, using programs like the New York State Excelsior Pass, Excelsior Pass Plus, and other initiatives that allow New Yorkers to easily prove their COVID-19 vaccination status, permitting them to return to workplaces, enjoy recreational events, and engage in other activities that were crucial part of their professional and personal lives before the COVID-19 pandemic struck; and

WHEREAS, New York is honored that more than 700,000 veterans of the United States Armed Services call New York State their home; and

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has offered and provided free COVID-19 vaccinations for all veterans, spouses and surviving spouses of veterans, caregivers of veterans (including family members or friends who provide care to a veteran), and recipients of Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA); and

WHEREAS, The VA has not been authorized to provide New York with electronic records of such vaccinations; and

WHEREAS, Because the VA has not been able to share this data with New York, New York veterans and other residents of our state who received their vaccination from the VA cannot utilize programs like the New York State Excelsior Pass, Excelsior Pass Plus, or other programs or services, including critical public safety services, that rely on our State’s vaccination records and databases; and

WHEREAS, Such data for all New Yorkers who received their COVID-19 vaccinations at VA medical facilities since the inception of the VA’s COVID-19 vaccination program is necessary for these individuals to verify their fully vaccinated status and utilize the above-described programs that rely on this vaccination proof.

NOW, THEREFORE, I KATHY HOCHUL, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the State of New York, do hereby direct the VA to transmit and continue to transmit to New York State electronic records of all COVID-19 vaccinations provided by the VA or any entity providing such vaccinations on behalf of the VA within the State of New York, encompassing all historical COVID-19 immunization information dating back to the beginning of VA’s provision of COVID-19 vaccinations at their medical facilities as well as all COVID-19 immunization information at VA medical facilities going forward, including any and all “booster” COVID-19 vaccinations administered at VA medical facilities.