I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3427 
To provide for the expansion of Federal efforts concerning the prevention, 
education, treatment, and research activities related to Lyme and other 
tick-borne diseases, including the establishment of a Tick-Borne Diseases 
Advisory Committee. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 26, 2005 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Mrs. KELLY) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To provide for the expansion of Federal efforts concerning 
the prevention, education, treatment, and research activi-
ties related to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, in-
cluding the establishment of a Tick-Borne Diseases Advi-
sory Committee. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lyme and Tick-borne 
Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 
2005’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Lyme disease is a common but frequently 
misunderstood illness that, if not caught early and 
treated properly, can cause serious health problems. 
(2) Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is 
transmitted by a tick bite. Early signs of infection 
may include a rash and flu-like symptoms such as 
fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. 
(3) Although Lyme disease can be treated with 
antibiotics if caught early, the disease often goes un-
detected because it mimics other illnesses or may be 
misdiagnosed. Untreated, Lyme disease can lead to 
severe heart, neurological, eye, and joint problems 
because the bacteria can affect many different or-
gans and organ systems. 
(4) If an individual with Lyme disease does not 
receive treatment, such individual can develop severe 
heart, neurological, eye, and joint problems. 
(5) Although Lyme disease accounts for 90 per-
cent of all vector-borne infections in the United 
States, the ticks that spread Lyme disease also 
spread 
other 
diseases, 
such 
as 
ehrlichiosis, 
babesiosis, and other strains of Borrelia. All of these 
diseases in 1 patient makes diagnosis and treatment 
more difficult.
(6) Studies indicate that the actual number of 
tick-borne disease cases are approximately 10 times 
the amount reported. 
(7) Persistence of symptomatology in many pa-
tients without reliable testing makes treatment of 
patients more difficult. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF A TICK-BORNE DISEASES ADVI-
SORY COMMITTEE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services (referred to in this Act as 
the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall establish within the Office of the 
Secretary an advisory committee to be known as the Tick- 
Borne Diseases Advisory Committee (referred to in this 
section as the ‘‘Committee’’). 
(b) DUTIES.—The Committee shall advise the Sec-
retary and the Assistant Secretary for Health regarding 
the manner in which such officials can— 
(1) ensure interagency coordination and com-
munication and minimize overlap regarding efforts 
to address tick-borne diseases; 
(2) identify opportunities to coordinate efforts 
with other Federal agencies and private organiza-
tions addressing such diseases;
(3) ensure interagency coordination and com-
munication with constituency groups; 
(4) ensure that a broad spectrum of scientific 
viewpoints are represented in public health policy de-
cisions and that information disseminated to the 
public and physicians is balanced; and 
(5) advise relevant Federal agencies on prior-
ities related to the Lyme and tick-borne diseases. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) APPOINTED MEMBERS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—From among individ-
uals who are not officers or employees of the 
Federal Government, the Secretary shall ap-
point to the Committee, as voting members, an 
equal number of individuals from each of the 
groups described in clauses (i) through (v) of 
subparagraph (B). 
(B) GROUPS.—The groups described in 
this subparagraph include the following: 
(i) Scientific community members rep-
resenting the broad spectrum of viewpoints 
held within the scientific community re-
lated to Lyme and other tick-borne dis-
eases.
(ii) Representatives of tick-borne dis-
ease voluntary organizations. 
(iii) Health care providers, including 
at least 1 full-time practicing physician, 
with relevant experience providing care for 
individuals with a broad range of acute 
and chronic tick-borne diseases. 
(iv) Patient representatives who are 
individuals who have been diagnosed with a 
tick-borne disease or who have had an im-
mediate family member diagnosed with 
such a disease. 
(v) Representatives of State and local 
health departments and national organiza-
tions that represent State and local health 
professionals. 
(C) DIVERSITY.—In appointing members 
under this paragraph, the Secretary shall en-
sure that such members, as a group, represent 
a diversity of scientific perspectives relevant to 
the duties of the Committee. 
(2) EX
OFFICIO
MEMBERS.—The Secretary 
shall designate, as nonvoting, ex officio members of 
the Committee, representatives overseeing tick-borne
disease activities from each of the following Federal 
agencies: 
(A) The Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention. 
(B) The National Institutes of Health. 
(C) The Agency for Healthcare Research 
and Quality. 
(D) The Food and Drug Administration. 
(E) The Office of the Assistant Secretary 
for Health. 
(F) Such additional Federal agencies as 
the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 
(3) CO-CHAIRPERSONS.—The Secretary shall 
designate the Assistant Secretary of Health as the 
co-chairperson of the Committee. The appointed 
members of the Committee shall also elect a public 
co-chairperson. The public co-chairperson shall serve 
a 2-year term. 
(4) TERM
OF
APPOINTMENT.—The term of 
service for each member of the Committee appointed 
under paragraph (1) shall be 4 years. 
(5) VACANCY.—A vacancy in the membership of 
the Committee shall be filled in the same manner as 
the original appointment. Any member appointed to 
fill a vacancy for an unexpired term shall be ap-
pointed for the remainder of that term. Members 
may serve after the expiration of their terms until 
their successors have taken office. 
(d) MEETINGS.—The Committee shall hold public 
meetings, except as otherwise determined by the Sec-
retary, after providing notice to the public of such meet-
ings, and shall meet at least twice a year with additional 
meetings subject to the call of the co-chairpersons. Agenda 
items with respect to such meetings may be added at the 
request of the members of the Committee, including the 
co-chairpersons. Meetings shall be conducted, and records 
of the proceedings shall be maintained, as required by ap-
plicable law and by regulations of the Secretary. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 
purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized 
to be appropriated $250,000 for each of the fiscal years 
2006 through 2009. Amounts appropriated under the pre-
ceding sentence shall be used for the expenses and per 
diem costs incurred by the Committee under this section 
in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 
except that no voting member of the Committee shall be 
a permanent salaried employee.
SEC. 4. FEDERAL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE DIAGNOSIS, 
SURVEILLANCE, 
PREVENTION, 
AND 
RE-
SEARCH OF LYME AND OTHER TICK-BORNE 
DISEASES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting as appro-
priate through the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, the Director of the National Insti-
tutes of Health, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, 
and the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research 
and Quality, as well as additional Federal agencies as the 
Secretary determines to be appropriate, and in consulta-
tion with the Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee, 
shall provide for the coordination of all Federal programs 
and activities related to Lyme and other tick-borne dis-
eases, including the activities described in paragraphs (1) 
through (4) of subsection (b). 
(b) ACTIVITIES.—The activities described in this sub-
section are the following: 
(1) DEVELOPMENT
OF
DIAGNOSTIC
TESTS.— 
Such activities include— 
(A) the development of sensitive and more 
accurate diagnostic tools and tests, including a 
direct detection test for Lyme disease capable 
of distinguishing active infection from past in-
fection;
(B) improving the efficient utilization of 
diagnostic testing currently available to account 
for the multiple clinical manifestations of both 
acute and chronic Lyme disease; and 
(C) providing for the timely evaluation of 
promising emerging diagnostic methods. 
(2) SURVEILLANCE AND REPORTING.—Such ac-
tivities include surveillance and reporting of Lyme 
and other tick-borne diseases— 
(A) to accurately determine the prevalence 
of Lyme and other tick-borne disease; 
(B) to evaluate the feasibility of developing 
a reporting system for the collection of data on 
physician-diagnosed cases of Lyme disease that 
do not meet the surveillance criteria of the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention in 
order to more accurately gauge disease inci-
dence; and 
(C) to evaluate the feasibility of creating a 
national uniform reporting system including re-
quired reporting by laboratories in each State. 
(3) PREVENTION.—Such activities include— 
(A) the provision and promotion of access 
to a comprehensive, up-to-date clearinghouse of
peer-reviewed information on Lyme and other 
tick-borne disease; 
(B) increased public education related to 
Lyme and other tick-borne diseases through the 
expansion of the Community Based Education 
Programs of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention to include expansion of informa-
tion access points to the public; 
(C) the creation of a physician education 
program that includes the full spectrum of sci-
entific research related to Lyme and other tick- 
borne diseases; and 
(D) the sponsoring of scientific conferences 
on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, includ-
ing reporting and consideration of the full spec-
trum of clinically-based knowledge, with the 
first of such conferences to be held not later 
than 24 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act. 
(4) CLINICAL OUTCOMES RESEARCH.—Such ac-
tivities include— 
(A) the establishment of epidemiological 
research objectives to determine the long term 
course of illness for Lyme disease; and
(B) determination of the effectiveness of 
different treatment modalities by establishing 
treatment outcome objectives. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 
purposes of carrying out this section, and for the purposes 
of providing for additional research, prevention, and edu-
cational activities for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for 
each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010. Such author-
ization is in addition to any other authorization of appro-
priations available for such purpose. 
SEC. 5. REPORTS ON LYME AND OTHER TICK-BORNE DIS-
EASES . 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the 
activities carried out under this Act. 
(b) CONTENT.—Reports under subsection (a) shall 
contain— 
(1) significant activities or developments related 
to the surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, education, 
or prevention of Lyme or other tick-borne diseases, 
including suggestions for further research and edu-
cation;
(2) a scientifically qualified assessment of Lyme 
and other tick-borne diseases, including both acute 
and chronic instances, related to the broad spectrum 
of empirical evidence of treating physicians, as well 
as published peer reviewed data, that shall include 
recommendations for addressing research gaps in di-
agnosis and treatment of Lyme and other tick-borne 
diseases and an evaluation of treatment guidelines 
and their utilization; 
(3) progress in the development of accurate di-
agnostic tools that are more useful in the clinical 
setting for both acute and chronic disease; and 
(4) the promotion of public awareness and phy-
sician education initiatives to improve the knowledge 
of health care providers and the public regarding 
clinical and surveillance practices for Lyme disease 
and other tick-borne diseases. 
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