BILL NUMBER:S5803

TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to including a lyme
disease and tick-borne infection awareness and prevention program
within the health care and wellness education and outreach program

PURPOSE:

This bill includes the lyme disease and tick-borne infection awareness
and prevention program in the health care and wellness education
program.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends Section 207 of the public health law to include
lyme disease and tick-borne awareness and prevention program in the
health care and wellness education program. Information provided shall
include methods of prevention, best practices for tick removal,
recommendations for the reduction of exposure to ticks and appropriate
course of action once a tick is removed.

Section two sets an immediate effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:
              

This bill would statutorily require the Department of Health to design
a Lyme and tick-borne disease prevention program to promote awareness
and prevention methods. Such a program should include guidelines and
methods of prevention-including the safe use of recommended insect
repellents-best practices for tick removal, recommendations for
reducing exposure to ticks and an appropriate course of action for
individuals to take once a tick is actually removed from the body.

Under section 207 of the Public Health Law, the Department is
authorized to conduct education and outreach programs for consumers,
patients and educators and has already established a history of doing
so for a variety of diseases, disorders and conditions. As Lyme
Disease cases continue to grow, efforts are ongoing to identify
methods to prevent exposure to this disease that can severely impact a
person's quality of life, particularly if the disease goes undetected
for an extended period of time. This bill emphasizes the need for
awareness on prevention efforts to reduce exposure to Lyme and other
tick-borne infectious diseases and directs the Department to provide
up-to-date information on Lyme Disease prevention efforts.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:


Immediately.