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SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

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 a bacterial infection that is
transmitted by a tick bite. Early signs of infection 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 undetected because it
mimics other illnesses or may be misdiagnosed. Untreated, Lyme
disease can lead to severe heart, neurological, eye, and joint
problems because the bacteria can affect many different organs
and organ systems.
(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 percent of all
vector-borne infections in the United States, the ticks that
spread Lyme disease also spread other disorders, such as
ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and other strains of Borrelia. All of
these diseases in 1 patient makes diagnosis and treatment more
difficult.
(6) Although tick-borne disease cases have been reported in
49 States and the District of Columbia, about 90 percent of the
15,000 cases have been reported in the following 10 States:
Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Delaware, and Wisconsin.
Studies have shown that the actual number of tick-borne disease
cases are approximately 10 times the amount reported due to
poor surveillance of the disease.
(7) Persistence of symptomatology in many patients without
reliable testing makes treatment of patients more difficult.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF A TICK-BORNE DISORDERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

(a) Establishment of Committee.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, there shall be established an advisory
committee to be known as the Tick-Borne Disorders Advisory Committee
(referred to in this Act as the ''Committee'') organized in the Office
of the Secretary.
(b) Duties.--The Committee shall advise the Secretary and Assistant
Secretary of Health regarding how to--
(1) assure interagency coordination and communication and
minimize overlap regarding efforts to address tick-borne
disorders;
(2) identify opportunities to coordinate efforts with other
Federal agencies and private organizations addressing tick-
borne disorders; and
(3) develop informed responses to constituency groups
regarding the Department of Health and Human Services' efforts
and progress.
(c) Membership.--
(1) Appointed members.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall appoint voting members to the Committee
from among the following member groups:
(i) Scientific community members.
(ii) Representatives of tick-borne disorder
voluntary organizations.
(iii) Health care providers.
(iv) Patient representatives who are
individuals who have been diagnosed with tick-
borne illnesses or who have had an immediate
family member diagnosed with such illness.
(v) Representatives of State and local
health departments and national organizations
who represent State and local health
professionals.
(B) Requirement.--The Secretary shall ensure that
an equal number of individuals are appointed to the
Committee from each of the member groups described in
clauses (i) through (v) of subparagraph (A).
(2) Ex officio members.--The Committee shall have nonvoting
ex officio members determined appropriate by the Secretary.
(d) Co-chairpersons.--The Assistant Secretary of Health shall serve
as the co-chairperson of the Committee with a public co-chairperson
chosen by the members described under subsection (c). The public co-
chairperson shall serve a 2-year term and retain all voting rights.
(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 Committee, 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 Secretary, 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 accurate
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 public regarding clinical
and surveillance practices for Lyme disease and other
tick-borne disorders.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act, $250,000 for each of fiscal years
2003 and 2004. Amounts appropriated under this subsection shall be used
for the expenses and per diem costs incurred by the Committee 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 salaried employee.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR RESEARCH FUNDING.

There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2003 through 2007 to provide for research and educational
activities concerning Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders, and
to carry out efforts to prevent Lyme disease and other tick-borne
disorders.

SEC. 4. GOALS.

It is the sense of the Senate that, in carrying out this Act, the
Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as
the ''Secretary''), acting as appropriate in consultation with the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the
Director of the National Institutes of Health, the Committee, and other
agencies, should consider carrying out the following:
(1) Five-year plan.--It is the sense of the Senate that the
Secretary should consider the establishment of a plan that, for
the five fiscal years following the date of the enactment of
this Act, provides for the activities to be carried out during
such fiscal years toward achieving the goals under paragraphs
(2) through (4). The plan should, as appropriate to such goals,
provide for the coordination of programs and activities
regarding Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders that are
conducted or supported by the Federal Government.
(2) First goal: diagnostic test.--The goal described in
this paragraph is to develop a diagnostic test for Lyme disease
and other tick-borne disorders for use in clinical testing.
(3) Second goal: surveillance and reporting 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 disease and other tick-
borne disorders.--The goal described in this paragraph is to
develop the capabilities at the Department of Health and Human
Services to design and implement improved strategies for the
prevention and control of Lyme disease and other tick-borne
diseases. Such diseases may include Masters' disease,
ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, other bacterial, viral and
rickettsial diseases such as tularemia, tick-borne
encephalitis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and bartonella,
respectively.

Passed the Senate October 17, 2002.

Attest:

JERI THOMSON,

Secretary.
(Sec. 2) Establishes the Tick-Borne Disorders Advisory Committee in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Directs the Committee to advise the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary of HHS regarding how to: (1) assure interagency coordination and communication in efforts to address tick-borne disorders; (2) identify opportunities to coordinate efforts with other Federal agencies and private organizations; and (3) develop informed responses to constituency groups regarding HHS' efforts and progress.Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 and 2004 to fund the Committee in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act.(Sec. 3) Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 through 2007 for: (1) research and educational activities concerning Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders; and (2) efforts to prevent such illnesses.Expresses the sense of the Senate that to achieve the goals of this Act, the Secretary, acting with appropriate consultation, should consider carrying out a five-year plan providing for the coordination of programs and activities.(Sec. 4) States as goals: (1) the development of a diagnostic test for Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders for use in clinical testing; (2) the determination of the prevalence of such diseases in the United States; and (3) the development of the capability at HHS to design and implement improved strategies for the prevention and control of such diseases.