(e) TERM OF APPOINTMENT.—All members shall be 
appointed to serve on the Committee for 4 year terms. 
(f) VACANCY.—If there is a vacancy on the Com-
mittee, such position shall be filled in the same manner 
as the original appointment. Any member appointed to fill 
a vacancy for an unexpired term shall be appointed for 
the remainder of that term. Members may serve after the 
expiration of their terms until their successors have taken 
office. 
(g) MEETINGS.—The Committee shall hold public 
meetings, except as otherwise determined by the Sec-
retary, giving notice to the public of such, and meet at 
least twice a year with additional meetings subject to the 
call of the co-chairpersons. Agenda items can be added 
at the request of the Committee members, as well as the 
co-chairpersons. Meetings shall be conducted, and records 
of the proceedings kept as required by applicable laws and 
departmental regulations. 
(h) REPORTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 24 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. 
(2) CONTENT.—Such reports shall describe—
(A) progress in the development of accu-
rate diagnostic tools that are more useful in the 
clinical setting; and 
(B) the promotion of public awareness and 
physician education initiatives to improve the 
knowledge of health care providers and the pub-
lic regarding clinical and surveillance practices 
for Lyme disease and other tick-borne dis-
orders. 
(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act, 
$250,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 and 2007. 
Amounts appropriated under this subsection shall be used 
for the expenses and per diem costs incurred by the Com-
mittee under this section in accordance with the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), except that no 
voting member of the Committee shall be a permanent sal-
aried employee. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION FOR RESEARCH FUNDING. 
There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010 to provide for 
research and educational activities concerning Lyme dis-
ease and other tick-borne disorders, and to carry out ef-
forts to prevent Lyme disease and other tick-borne dis-
orders.
SEC. 5. GOALS. 
It is the sense of the Congress that, in carrying out 
this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
acting as appropriate in consultation with the Director of 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Direc-
tor of the National Institutes of Health, the Committee, 
and other agencies, should consider carrying out the fol-
lowing: 
(1) FIVE-YEAR PLAN.—It is the sense of the 
Congress that the Secretary should consider the es-
tablishment of a plan that, for the five fiscal years 
following the date of the enactment of this Act, pro-
vides for the activities to be carried out during such 
fiscal years toward achieving the goals under para-
graphs (2) through (4). The plan should, as appro-
priate to such goals, provide for the coordination of 
programs and activities regarding Lyme disease and 
other tick-borne disorders that are conducted or sup-
ported by the Federal Government. 
(2) FIRST GOAL: DIAGNOSTIC TEST.—The goal 
described in this paragraph is to develop a diag-
nostic test for Lyme disease and other tick-borne 
disorders for use in clinical testing. 
(3) SECOND
GOAL: SURVEILLANCE
AND
RE-
PORTING
OF
LYME
DISEASE
AND
OTHER
TICK-
BORNE
DISORDERS.—The goal described in this
paragraph is to accurately determine the prevalence 
of Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders in 
the United States. 
(4) THIRD GOAL: PREVENTION OF LYME DIS-
EASE
AND
OTHER
TICK-BORNE
DISORDERS.—The 
goal described in this paragraph is to develop the ca-
pabilities at the Department of Health and Human 
Services to design and implement improved strate-
gies for the prevention and control of Lyme disease 
and other tick-borne diseases. Such diseases may in-
clude Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness, 
ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and other bacterial, viral, 
and rickettsial diseases such as tularemia, tick-borne 
encephalitis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and 
bartonella, respectively. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘Committee’’ means the Tick-
Borne Disorders Advisory Committee established by 
section 2. 
(2) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services.
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