Kay Hagan Tick Act
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a national strategy to address vector-borne diseases, including tick-borne diseases.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1657 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1657
To provide assistance to combat the escalating burden of Lyme disease
and other tick and vector-borne diseases and disorders.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 23 (legislative day, May 22), 2019
Ms. Collins (for herself, Ms. Smith, and Mr. King) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide assistance to combat the escalating burden of Lyme disease
and other tick and vector-borne diseases and disorders.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Ticks: Identify, Control, and
Knockout Act'' or the ``TICK Act''.
SEC. 2. OFFICE OF OVERSIGHT AND COORDINATION FOR VECTOR-BORNE DISEASE.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
(referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall establish in the
Office of the Secretary an Office of Oversight and Coordination for
Vector-Borne Diseases (referred to in this Act as the ``Office''), to
be headed by a director to be appointed by the Secretary.
(b) Duties of the Office.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the Office shall--
(A) oversee the creation and maintenance of a
national strategy to address Lyme disease, and other
tick and vector-borne diseases as provided for in
paragraph (2); and
(B) oversee and coordinate Lyme disease and other
tick and vector-borne disease and disorder programs and
activities across the agencies and offices of the
Department of Health and Human Services and other
Federal agencies outside of the Department of Health
and Human Services, as appropriate.
(2) National strategy.--
(A) In general.--The Director of the Office shall
provide for the conduct of an annual assessment of the
progress of the United States in preparing for the
escalating burden of Lyme disease and other tick and
vector-borne diseases and disorders, including an
assessment of all Federally funded programs and
activities related to surveillance, diagnosis,
treatment, education, or prevention, as well as
implementation steps, and recommendations for priority
actions, with appropriate benchmarks to measure
progress, based on the assessment.
(B) Non-federal perspectives.--In developing the
strategy under subparagraph (A), and maintaining it,
the Director shall consult with non-Federal individuals
with appropriate expertise, which may include--
(i) epidemiologists with experience in
surveillance, treatment, education, or
prevention of vector-borne diseases;
(ii) representatives of national patient
advocacy and research organizations that focus
on vector-borne diseases, and those that focus
specifically on tick-borne disease and have
demonstrated experience in research, data
collection, or patient access to care;
(iii) health information technology experts
or other information management specialists;
(iv) clinicians, entomologists, vector-
management professionals, integrated pest
management professionals, public health
professionals, and others with expertise in
vector-borne disease, including Lyme disease or
other tick-borne diseases or disorders; and
(v) research scientists with experience
conducting translational research or utilizing
surveillance systems for scientific research
purposes.
(c) Objective of the Office.--In carrying out subsection (b), the
Director of the Office shall facilitate and work to ensure the
accomplishment of the following activities:
(1) Expansion and enhancement of epidemiological research
and basic, translational, and clinical biological and
biomedical research.
(2) Expansion and improvement of tick surveillance, linking
tick surveillance to surveillance of Lyme disease, and
reporting of Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-borne
diseases, including coinfections with agents of more than one
tick or vector-borne diseases.
(3) Development of effective diagnostic tests to accurately
and timely diagnose Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-
borne diseases, including direct detention tests.
(4) Development of treatments to cure or improve the lives
of those who are infected with Lyme disease or other tick-and
vector-borne diseases or who suffer from a tick-induced
disorder (such as tick PIM programs).
(5) Address the quality of patient care, treatment
affordability, and public awareness of Lyme disease and other
tick or vector-borne diseases.
(6) Design and conduct clinical trials of sufficient size
and duration to support clinical recommendations.
(7) Systematic documentation of the experiences of health
care professionals in diagnosing and treating tick- and vector-
borne disease, including diagnostic and treatment outcomes.
(8) Development and maintenance of one or more registries
of patients and their experiences relating to exposure to,
diagnosis for, and treatment of tick- and vector-borne disease,
including outcomes, such that the confidentiality and safety of
patient data is protected.
(9) Access to data and enable emerging technologies to
improve patient care, sharing data with researchers and care
providers.
(10) Coordination with other Federal departments to address
tick- and other vector-borne diseases including the Department
of Defense, the Department of Agriculture, the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Department of Interior, and the
Department of Homeland Security.
(11) Coordination with the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group
established under section 2062 of the 21st Century Cures Act
(42 U.S.C. 284s) to develop and implement recommendations.
(12) Coordination with international bodies to integrate
and inform the fight against Lyme disease, and other tick- and
vector-borne diseases globally.
SEC. 3. REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN TICK AND VECTOR-BORNE
DISEASES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with the Director
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the heads of
other agencies as appropriate, shall award grants, contracts, or
cooperative agreements to eligible entities (such as institutions of
higher education, State, tribal, and local health departments,
associations, or other appropriate entities) for the establishment or
support of Regional Centers of Excellence in Tick and Vector-Borne
Diseases. Such Regional Centers shall be designed to address Lyme
disease and other tick and vector-borne diseases by--
(1) building collaboration between academia and public
health agencies for surveillance, prevention and response to
Lyme disease and other tick and vector-borne diseases;
(2) providing training for public health entomologists to
deal with Lyme disease and other tick and vector-borne
diseases; and
(3) conducting applied research to develop and validate
prevention and control tools and methods, and to anticipate and
respond to outbreaks of Lyme disease and other tick and vector-
borne diseases.
(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement under this section, an entity shall prepare and
submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner,
and containing such agreements and information as the Secretary may
require, including a description of how the entity will--
(1) coordinate, as applicable, with existing Federal,
State, and tribal programs related to Lyme disease and other
vector-borne diseases;
(2) examine, evaluate, and promote evidence-based
interventions for individuals with Lyme disease and other tick-
and vector-borne diseases, including those in rural and
underserved populations, and those who provide care for such
individuals; and
(3) prioritize activities relating to--
(A) expanding efforts, as appropriate, to implement
evidence-based practices to address Lyme disease and
other tick- and vector-borne diseases, including
through the training of State, local, and tribal public
health officials and other health professionals on such
practices;
(B) supporting surveillance of vectors, and early
detection and diagnosis of Lyme and other tick- and
vector-borne diseases, including improving the quality
and reliability of diagnostic tools at all stages of
disease progression, and developing a Lyme disease test
capable of distinguishing between past and active
infections;
(C) improving the safety and efficacy of any new,
renewed, or modified human vaccine for Lyme disease,
other tick- and vector-borne diseases, or a combination
of such diseases;
(D) developing a standardized screening protocol
for Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-borne
diseases;
(E) enhancing studies and activities on tick
biology, disease ecology, and surveillance, and tick
management; and
(F) supporting other relevant activities identified
by the Secretary or the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, as appropriate.
(c) Considerations.--In awarding grants, contracts, and cooperative
agreements under this section, the Secretary shall consider, among
other factors, whether the entity--
(1) provides services to rural areas or other underserved
populations;
(2) is able to build on an existing infrastructure of
services and public health research;
(3) is located in an area with a high prevalence, or in any
area predicted to have a high prevalence, of Lyme disease or
other tick- and vector-borne diseases; and
(4) has experience with conducting research related to Lyme
disease and other tick- and vector-borne diseases.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000
for each of fiscal years from 2021 through 2026. Amounts appropriated
shall be allocated under this section to diseases in a manner that
proportionately matches the disease burden of those diseases in the
United States, which shall be reassessed and adjusted annually.
SEC. 4. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND
PREVENTION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with the Director
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the heads of
other agencies, as appropriate, shall enter into cooperative agreements
between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health
departments of States, political subdivisions of States, and Indian
tribes and tribal organizations, to address Lyme Disease and other
tick- and vector-borne diseases, and to support the development and
implementation of evidence-based research, interventions, and treatment
with respect to--
(1) educating and informing the public, based on evidence-
based public health research and data, about Lyme Disease and
other vector-borne diseases;
(2) supporting early detection and diagnosis;
(3) supporting prevention;
(4) improving treatment;
(5) supporting care planning and management for individuals
with Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-borne diseases;
and
(6) supporting other relevant activities identified by the
Secretary or the Director of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, as appropriate.
(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to enter into a cooperative
agreement under this section, an entity described in subsection (a)
shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an application at such time,
in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
require, including a plan that describes--
(1) how the applicant proposes to develop or expand
programs to educate individuals through partnership engagement,
workforce development, guidance and support for programmatic
efforts, and evaluation with respect to Lyme disease and other
tick- or vector-borne diseases, and how the applicant proposes
to support other relevant activities identified by the
Secretary or the Director of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, as appropriate;
(2) the manner in which the applicant will coordinate with
Federal, tribal, and State programs related to Lyme Disease and
other vector-borne diseases, and appropriate State, tribal, and
local agencies, as well as other relevant public and private
organizations or agencies; and
(3) the manner in which the applicant will evaluate the
effectiveness of any program carried out under the cooperative
agreement.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000
for each of fiscal years from (2021 through 2026). Amounts appropriated
shall be allocated under this section to diseases in a manner that
proportionately matches the disease burden of those diseases in the
United States, which shall be reassessed and adjusted annually.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3111-3112)
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Alexander with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Alexander with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 287.
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