I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1179 
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 
FEBRUARY 25, 2009 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. WOLF, Mr. STUPAK, and Mr. 
HOLDEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 
Diseases Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 
2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The 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 caused by the bacterium 
Borrelia burgdorferi, which belongs to the class of 
spirochetes, and is transmitted to humans by the 
bite of infected black-legged ticks. Early signs of in-
fection 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. 
(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 anaplasmosis, 
babesiosis, and tularemia, and carry Bartonella and 
other strains of Borrelia. Other tick species, such as 
the aggressive lone star, spread ehrlichiosis, Rocky 
Mountain spotted fever, and southern tick-associated 
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rash illness (STARI). Multiple diseases in 1 patient 
make diagnosis and treatment more difficult. 
(6) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention reported 27,444 new cases of Lyme disease 
in 2007, a 38 percent increase nationally from 2006. 
Studies indicate that the actual number of tick- 
borne disease cases is approximately 10 times the 
amount reported. 
(7) According to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, from 1992 to 2006, the inci-
dence of Lyme disease was highest among children 
aged 5 to 14 years of age. 
(8) 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’’). 
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