PHOENIX - A bill criticized by UA health officials as costly and ineffective, as well as pandering to special interests, drew disapproval from some state lawmakers yesterday, but managed to pass committee by a single vote.

The bill mandates that state universities distribute information on the risks associated with meningococcal disease, or bacterial meningitis, and the effectiveness and availability of vaccines for the disease. The universities already distribute information voluntarily.

The second and most contentious part of the bill requires students living in residence halls or in off-campus university housing to be entered into a campus registry disclosing if and when they have been vaccinated against the fatal bacteria-caused disease and to confirm that they have received information on the disease.

Harry McDermott, director of UA Campus Health Service, said the registry would cost roughly $40,000 to implement and would do little to curb the occurrence of the disease at the UA, where there hasn't been a single case since 1997.

Sen. Robert Cannell, D-Yuma, a licensed medical doctor, criticized the measure. He said although college students in residence halls have a slightly elevated risk of contracting the disease, they ultimately are not at as high of a risk as infants or the elderly.

"To spend resources and tie up the college health system with this is not fair," Cannell said. "This is coming from the vaccine manufacturer. ... You're not getting this from the medical community because it's not cost-effective."

Cannell later voted in favor of the bill after the bill's sponsor and committee chairwoman Sen. Carolyn Allen, R-Scottsdale, asked the committee to ignore their concerns and move the bill to the House floor, promising she would consider changing the bill to address their concerns.

But Cannell prefaced his "yes" vote with a parting jab.

"I know Aventis (Pasteur) is in a hurry on this because the vaccine is going to be outdated in a few years," Cannell said.

UA lobbyist Greg Fahey spoke about the bill but did not voice outright support or criticism for it. He did, however, ask that the registry be set up over the Internet in order to reduce administrative costs.

Several of the senators said they couldn't understand the purpose of the registry, as it would not preclude non-vaccinated students from living in residence halls or carry any disciplinary measures against students who opted out of the vaccine.

Sen. Barbara Leff, R-Paradise Valley, said universities go far enough by providing information to every incoming freshman.

"At some point, can't we trust that they are going to read it anyway?" Leff said.

Barbara Meaney, a lobbyist representing Aventis Pasteur, the drug manufacturer that produces the only bacterial meningitis vaccine licensed in the United States, said the company is pushing the legislation for public health and not personal gain.

"We're hoping to be more proactive about this and not wait until a student has to die," Meaney said.

Another major concern for those voting in opposition was that requiring universities to make sure students receive the materials could open up the door for potential lawsuits if a student were to suffer harm from the disease.

"I don't see how any amendment to this bill will not open up the universities to more liability," said Sen. Jack Harper, R-Glendale. "If we don't have enough money to go around, I sure don't want any of our educational dollars going to trial lawyers."

Allen's vote saved her bill by a count of 5-4.

Campus Health began distributing information on the disease in 1997 to students living in residence halls. Since then, the number of students seeking the vaccine has nearly doubled.

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and the fluid surrounding the brain. It can cause retardation and death.

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.6 out of every 100,000 college freshmen living in residence halls will contract the disease. However, the rate for college students not living in halls is 0.6 cases per 100,000.

Students can get the vaccine from Campus Health for $86.