[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1657 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 287
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, Mr. King, Mrs. Capito, Mr.
Blumenthal, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Boozman, Ms. Hassan, Mr.
Braun, and Mr. Sanders) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions
November 5, 2019
Reported by Mr. Alexander, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
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,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Ticks: Identify, Control,
and Knockout Act'' or the ``TICK Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. OFFICE OF OVERSIGHT AND COORDINATION FOR VECTOR-BORNE
DISEASE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Duties of the Office.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) In general.--The Director of the Office
shall--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) National strategy.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) epidemiologists with
experience in surveillance, treatment,
education, or prevention of vector-borne
diseases;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) health information
technology experts or other information
management specialists;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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</DELETED>
<DELETED> (v) research scientists with
experience conducting translational research or
utilizing surveillance systems for scientific
research purposes.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Expansion and enhancement of epidemiological
research and basic, translational, and clinical biological and
biomedical research.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Development of effective diagnostic tests to
accurately and timely diagnose Lyme disease and other tick- and
vector-borne diseases, including direct detention
tests.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) Address the quality of patient care, treatment
affordability, and public awareness of Lyme disease and other
tick or vector-borne diseases.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) Design and conduct clinical trials of
sufficient size and duration to support clinical
recommendations.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) Systematic documentation of the experiences of
health care professionals in diagnosing and treating tick- and
vector-borne disease, including diagnostic and treatment
outcomes.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (9) Access to data and enable emerging
technologies to improve patient care, sharing data with
researchers and care providers.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (12) Coordination with international bodies to
integrate and inform the fight against Lyme disease, and other
tick- and vector-borne diseases globally.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN TICK AND VECTOR-
BORNE DISEASES.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) building collaboration between academia and
public health agencies for surveillance, prevention and
response to Lyme disease and other tick and vector-borne
diseases;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) providing training for public health
entomologists to deal with Lyme disease and other tick and
vector-borne diseases; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) coordinate, as applicable, with existing
Federal, State, and tribal programs related to Lyme disease and
other vector-borne diseases;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) prioritize activities relating to--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) developing a standardized screening
protocol for Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-
borne diseases;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (E) enhancing studies and activities on
tick biology, disease ecology, and surveillance, and
tick management; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (F) supporting other relevant activities
identified by the Secretary or the Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as
appropriate.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Considerations.--In awarding grants, contracts, and
cooperative agreements under this section, the Secretary shall
consider, among other factors, whether the entity--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) provides services to rural areas or other
underserved populations;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) is able to build on an existing infrastructure
of services and public health research;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) has experience with conducting research
related to Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-borne
diseases.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 4. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE
CONTROL AND PREVENTION.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) educating and informing the public, based on
evidence-based public health research and data, about Lyme
Disease and other vector-borne diseases;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) supporting early detection and
diagnosis;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) supporting prevention;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) improving treatment;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) supporting care planning and management for
individuals with Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-borne
diseases; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) supporting other relevant activities
identified by the Secretary or the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, as appropriate.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) the manner in which the applicant will
evaluate the effectiveness of any program carried out under the
cooperative agreement.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Kay Hagan Tick Act''.
SEC. 2. COMBATING VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES.
Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting
after section 317T (42 U.S.C. 247b-22) the following:
``SEC. 317U. NATIONAL STRATEGY AND REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN
VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant
Secretary for Health, shall--
``(1) ensure the development and implementation of a
national strategy to address vector-borne diseases, including
tick-borne diseases, consistent with subsection (b); and
``(2) coordinate programs and activities, including related
to data collection, research, and the development of
diagnostics, treatments, vaccines, and other related
activities, to address vector-borne diseases, including tick-
borne diseases, across the Department of Health and Human
Services and with other Federal agencies or departments, as
appropriate.
``(b) Strategy.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, in coordination with the
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Agriculture, the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs,
the Secretary of Homeland Security, and others, as appropriate,
shall develop a strategy to address gaps in Federal programs,
and assess the progress of the United States in, addressing
vector-borne diseases, including tick-borne diseases. Such
strategy shall--
``(A) assess gaps and unnecessary duplication in
federally funded programs and activities related to
surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, education,
pathogenesis, or prevention of vector-borne diseases,
including tick-borne diseases, which may include taking
into consideration relevant strategic plans made by
other agencies;
``(B) identify gaps and unnecessary duplication
with respect to--
``(i) epidemiological, basic,
translational, and clinical research on vector-
borne diseases, including tick-borne diseases;
and
``(ii) vector surveillance, registries, and
disease monitoring, including coinfections with
agents of more than one vector-borne disease;
``(C) identify strategic goals related to
addressing vector-borne diseases, including tick-borne
diseases, including goals related to the development of
diagnostics, treatments, vaccines, and other related
measures, as appropriate, and benchmarks to measure
progress;
``(D) identify ways to improve the care and
treatment of individuals with vector-borne diseases,
including tick-borne diseases, and to improve public
awareness of such diseases; and
``(E) update such strategy biennially.
``(2) Non-federal perspectives.--In developing and
updating, as applicable, the strategy under paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall--
``(A) coordinate with the Tick-Borne Disease
Working Group established under section 2062 of the
21st Century Cures Act (42 U.S.C. 284s), as
appropriate; and
``(B) consult with non-Federal individuals with
appropriate expertise, which may include--
``(i) epidemiologists with experience in
vector-borne diseases, including tick-borne
diseases;
``(ii) representatives of patient advocacy
and research organizations that focus on
vector-borne diseases, including those that
focus specifically on tick-borne diseases and
have demonstrated experience in related
research, public health, data collection, or
patient access to care;
``(iii) health information technology
experts or other information management
specialists;
``(iv) clinicians, entomologists, vector
management professionals, public health
professionals, and others with expertise in
vector-borne diseases, including tick-borne
diseases; and
``(v) researchers, including researchers
with experience conducting translational
research.
``(c) Centers of Excellence.--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 institutions of higher education for the
establishment or continued support of regional centers of excellence in
vector-borne diseases to address vector-borne diseases, including tick-
borne diseases, by--
``(1) facilitating collaboration between academia and
public health organizations for public health surveillance,
prevention, and response activities related to vector-borne
diseases, including tick-borne diseases;
``(2) providing training for public health entomologists
and other health care professionals, as appropriate, to address
vector-borne diseases, including tick-borne diseases;
``(3) conducting research to develop and validate
prevention and control tools and methods, including evidence-
based and innovative, evidence-informed tools and methods to
anticipate and respond to disease outbreaks; or
``(4) preparing for and responding to outbreaks of vector-
borne diseases, including tick-borne diseases.
``(d) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement under subsection (c), an entity shall submit to
the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require, including a
description of how the entity will conduct the activities described in
such subsection.
``(e) Reports.--
``(1) Program summary.--An entity receiving an award under
subsection (c) shall, not later than one year after receiving
such award, and annually thereafter, submit to the Secretary a
summary of programs and activities funded under the award.
``(2) Progress report.--Not later than 4 years after the
date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives, a report on the progress made in
addressing vector-borne diseases, including tick-borne
diseases, through activities carried out under this section.
``(f) 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 2021 through 2025.''.
SEC. 3. ENHANCING CAPACITY TO ADDRESS VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES.
(a) Enhanced Support.--Subtitle C of title XXVIII of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-31 et seq.) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``SEC. 2822. ENHANCED SUPPORT TO ASSIST HEALTH DEPARTMENTS IN
ADDRESSING VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may enter into
cooperative agreements with health departments of States, political
subdivisions of States, and Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations in
areas at high risk of vector-borne diseases in order to increase
capacity to identify, report, prevent, and respond to such diseases and
related outbreaks.
``(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 address vector-borne diseases risks, including
through--
``(A) related training and workforce development;
``(B) programmatic efforts to improve capacity to
identify, report, prevent, and respond to such disease
and related outbreaks; and
``(C) other relevant activities identified by the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, as appropriate;
``(2) the manner in which the applicant will coordinate
with other Federal, Tribal, and State agencies and programs, as
applicable, related to vector-borne diseases, 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 purposes of
carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.''.
Calendar No. 287
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1657
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide assistance to combat the escalating burden of Lyme disease
and other tick and vector-borne diseases and disorders.
_______________________________________________________________________
November 5, 2019
Reported with an amendment