An Act To Inform Persons of the Options for the Treatment of Lyme Disease
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0597
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: BRIGGS, CRAVEN, BEAUDOIN, BEAVERS, CAMPBELL, DAUGHTRY, DILL, ESPLING, FARNSWORTH, GUERIN, JOHNSON, KESCHL, RUSSELL, SHAW, STUCKEY, VEROW, WOOD, JACKSON, PATRICK
Amends: 22 MRSA §1645

Legislative Document 
No. 597 
H.P. 416 
House of Representatives, February 21, 2013 
An Act To Inform Persons of the Options for the Treatment of 
Lyme Disease 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative BRIGGS of Mexico. 
Cosponsored by Senator CRAVEN of Androscoggin and 
Representatives: BEAUDOIN of Biddeford, BEAVERS of South Berwick, CAMPBELL of 
Newfield, DAUGHTRY of Brunswick, DILL of Old Town, ESPLING of New Gloucester, 
FARNSWORTH of Portland, GUERIN of Glenburn, JOHNSON of Eddington, KESCHL of 
Belgrade, McCABE of Skowhegan, RUSSELL of Portland, SHAW of Standish, STUCKEY of 
Portland, VEROW of Brewer, WOOD of Sabattus, Senators: JACKSON of Aroostook, 
PATRICK of Oxford. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §1645, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 494, §4, is amended 
to read: 
3.  Publicly accessible website.  The Maine Center for Disease Control and 
Prevention shall maintain a publicly accessible website to provide public awareness and 
education on Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.  The website must provide 
information on the prevention, diagnosis and different alternatives for treatment of Lyme 
disease and other tick-borne illnesses for use by health care providers and the public, 
including, but not limited to, links to resources made available and recommended by the 
United States Department of Health and Human Services and an international nonprofit 
multidisciplinary medical society. 
Sec. 2.  Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention; alternatives for 
the treatment of Lyme disease.  The Department of Health and Human Services, 
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention shall include on the publicly accessible 
website established pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 1645, 
subsection 3 information, including links to websites, about treatment guidelines 
recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the International Lyme 
and Associated Diseases Society.  The center shall work with health care professionals to 
inform patients about different alternatives for the treatment of Lyme disease. 
SUMMARY 
This bill directs the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to include on 
its publicly accessible website information about different alternatives for the treatment 
of Lyme disease.  The bill also requires the center to include information about treatment 
guidelines recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, which represents 
physicians, scientists and other health care professionals who specialize in infectious 
diseases, and the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, an international 
nonprofit multidisciplinary medical society.  The bill directs the center to work with 
health care professionals to inform patients about different alternatives for the treatment 
of Lyme disease.