TWO TICK BORNE DISEASES BILLS WORTHY OF OUR SUPPORT

Two Tick Borne Diseases bills, both supported by Time for Lyme, have recently been introduced in the US Congress.

US Representative Christopher Smith of New Jersey introduced H.R. 2557 in the House of Representatives on July 15, 2011. This bill provides for the establishment of the Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee.  Advisory committees already exist for many major diseases.  The proposed Tick Borne Diseases advisory committee would be established in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services and would be required to include widely varied representation.  The committee will promote communication between and coordination of actions by government agencies related to Tick-Borne Disease.
(to view the bill: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr2557ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr2557ih.pdf)

S. 1381: Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 2011 was introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut on July 18, 2011.  This bill also includes the establishment of a Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee, through the Secretary of Health and Human Services, with required broad representation on the committee.  Further goals of the bill are to coordinate increased tick-borne diseases’ research and development (including more accurate diagnostic tools), improve disease reporting and increase public and health professional education. 
(to view the bill: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s112-1381)