I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5878 
To provide for a national strategy to address and overcome Lyme disease 
and other tick-borne diseases, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 18, 2018 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To provide for a national strategy to address and overcome 
Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and for 
other purposes. 
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 ‘‘National Lyme and 
Tick-Borne Diseases Control and Accountability Act of 
2018’’. 
SEC. 2. OFFICE OF OVERSIGHT AND COORDINATION FOR 
TICK-BORNE DISEASES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall establish in the Office of the Sec-
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retary the Office of Oversight and Coordination for Tick- 
Borne Diseases, to be headed by a director appointed by 
the Secretary— 
(1) to oversee the creation and updating of an 
integrated national strategy to overcome Lyme dis-
ease and other tick-borne diseases; and 
(2) to oversee and coordinate Lyme disease and 
other tick-borne disease programs and activities 
across the agencies and offices of the Department of 
Health and Human Services. 
(b) OBJECTIVE OF OFFICE.—In carrying out sub-
section (a), the Director of the Office shall facilitate and 
work to ensure accomplishment of the following activities: 
(1) Expansion and enhancement of epidemiolog-
ical research and basic, translational, and clinical bi-
ological and biomedical research. 
(2) Expansion and improvement of the surveil-
lance and reporting of Lyme disease and other tick- 
borne disease, including coinfections with agents of 
more than one tick-borne disease. 
(3) Development of effective diagnostic tests to 
accurately and timely diagnose Lyme disease and 
other tick-borne disease, including direct detention 
tests. 
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(4) Development of treatments to cure or im-
prove the lives of those who are infected with Lyme 
disease or other tick-borne disease or who suffer 
from a tick-induced disorder. 
(5) Design and conduct of clinical trials of suf-
ficient size and duration to support clinical rec-
ommendations. 
(6) Development and maintenance of one or 
more registries of patients and their experiences re-
lating to exposure to, diagnosis for, and treatment 
of tick-borne disease, including outcomes, which reg-
istries shall protect the confidentiality and safety of 
patient data. 
(7) Systematic documentation of the experi-
ences of health care professionals in diagnosing and 
treating tick-borne disease, including diagnostic and 
treatment outcomes. 
(8) Inclusion of individuals with chronic Lyme 
disease in clinical, research, and service efforts. 
(9) Coordination with international bodies to in-
tegrate and inform the fight against Lyme disease 
and tick-borne disease globally. 
(c) INTEGRATION OF TICK-BORNE DISEASE WORK-
ING GROUP FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—In car-
rying out this section, the Director of the Office shall, as 
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directed by the Secretary, with any modifications made by 
and as otherwise determined appropriate by the Secretary, 
oversee and coordinate integration and implementation, 
into the activities of the Office and the activities and pro-
grams of the agencies and offices of the Department of 
Health and Human Services, of the recommendations to 
the Secretary and the findings and conclusions in the lat-
est report of the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group sub-
mitted to the Secretary and congressional committees. 
(d) PRIORITY BASED ON DISEASE BURDEN.—In car-
rying out this section, the Director of the Office shall give 
priority to Lyme disease and other tick-borne disease 
based on assessments of disease burden in the United 
States. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL STRATEGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in coordination 
with the Director of the Office, and in consultation with 
the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group, 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, shall— 
(1) not later than 2 years after the date of en-
actment of this Act, develop and submit to the Con-
gress a national strategy for the conduct and sup-
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port of Lyme disease and other tick-borne disease or 
disorder programs and activities; and 
(2) not less than every 2 years thereafter, up-
date such strategy. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The strategy under subsection (a) 
shall include— 
(1) proposed budgetary requirements; 
(2) an assessment of all federally funded pro-
grams and activities related to surveillance, diag-
nosis, treatment, education, or prevention with re-
spect to Lyme disease or other tick-borne disease, an 
evaluation of progress and performance based on 
mission and purpose, and a description of significant 
challenges or barriers to performance, including an 
assessment of Federal grants awarded; 
(3) a strategy for improving diagnosis, treat-
ment, and prevention, including increasing the im-
pact of grants awarded by the National Institutes of 
Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion, and other agencies and offices of the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services; 
(4) a strategy for improving outcomes of indi-
viduals with Lyme disease and other tick-borne dis-
eases and disorders, including progress related to 
chronic or persistent symptoms and chronic or per-
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sistent infection and coinfections, including plans for 
evaluating the potential value of and supporting the 
conduct of observational studies, comparative effec-
tiveness research, patient-centered outcomes re-
search, or other real world evidence; 
(5) the appropriate benchmarks to measure 
progress in achieving the improvements described in 
paragraphs (3) and (4); 
(6) a strategy for improving interactions, co-
ordination, and partnerships with other Federal 
agencies, State and local governments, and global 
entities; and 
(7) the latest recommendations of the Tick- 
Borne Disease Working Group and the steps taken 
by the agencies and offices of the Department of 
Health and Human Services to implement those rec-
ommendations. 
SEC. 4. FEDERAL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE DIAGNOSIS, 
SURVEILLANCE, AND PREVENTION OF, AND 
RESEARCH ON, LYME DISEASE AND OTHER 
TICK-BORNE DISEASES AND DISORDERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in coordination 
with the Director of the Office, acting as the Secretary 
determines appropriate through the Director of the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention, the Director of 
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the National Institutes of Health, the Commissioner of 
Food and Drugs, the Director of the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality, the Administrator of 
the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Di-
rector of the Indian Health Service, and the heads of other 
Federal agencies, and in consultation with the Tick-Borne 
Disease Working Group, shall provide for— 
(1) the conduct or support of the activities de-
scribed in paragraphs (1) through (8) of subsection 
(b); and 
(2) the coordination of all programs and activi-
ties of the Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices related to Lyme disease and other tick-borne 
diseases and disorders and Bartonella. 
(b) ACTIVITIES.—The activities to be conducted or 
supported under subsection (a)(1) consist of the following: 
(1) EXPANSION
AND
ENHANCEMENT
OF
RE-
SEARCH.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall ex-
pand and intensify epidemiological, basic, 
translational, and clinical research regarding 
Lyme disease and other tick-borne disease and 
disorders and bartonellosis to better under-
stand— 
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