An Act To Improve Access to Treatments for Lyme Disease
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0422
Committee Amendment CA_A_H216 (House)
Amends: 32 MRSA §3282-B

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 289, L.D. 422, Bill, "An Act To 
Improve Access to Treatments for Lyme Disease" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
, summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §3282-B is enacted to read: 
§3282-B. Lyme disease treatment 
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A. "Long-term antibiotic therapy" means the administration of oral, intramuscular or 
intravenous antibiotics< singly or in combination, for a period of time in excess of 4 
weeks. 
B. "Lyme disease" means: 
(1) The presence of signs or symptoms compatible with acute infection with 
Borrelia burgdorferi; 
(2) Late stage, persistent or chronic infection with Borrelia burgdorferi; 
(3) Complications related to an infection under subparagraph (1) or (2); or 
(4) The presence of signs or symptoms compatible with acute infection or late 
stage, persistent or chronic infection with other strains of Borrelia that are 
identified or recognized by the United States Department of Health and Human 
Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a cause of disease. 
"Lvme disease" includes an infection that meets the surveillance criteria for Lyme 
disease established by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or a 
clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease that does not meet the surveillance criteria for 
Lyme disease set by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 289,L.D. 422 
presents other acute and chronic signs or symptoms of Lyme disease as determined 
by a patient's treating physician. 
2. Lyme disease treatment. A physician licensed under this chapter may prescribe, 
administer or dispense long-term antibiotic therapy for a therapeutic purpose to eliminate 
infection or to control a patient's symptoms upon making a clinical diagnosis that the 
patient has Lyme disease or displays symptoms consistent with a clinical diagnosis of 
Lyme disease. The physician shall document the clinical diagnosis and treatment in the 
patient's medical record. The clinical diagnosis must be based on knowledge obtained 
through medical history and physical examination only or in conjunction with testing that 
provides supportive data for the clinical diagnosis.' 
SU~y 
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. It replaces the bill and 
provides that a licensed physician may prescribe, administer or dispense long-term 
antibiotic therapy for a therapeutic purpose to eliminate infection or to control a patient's 
symptoms upon making a clinical diagnosis that the patient has Lyme disease or displays 
symptoms consistent with a clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease. It requires the clinical 
diagnosis and treatment to be documented in the patient's medical record by the 
prescribing licensed physician. The amendment also defmes terms, including "Lyme 
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disease." 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT