Senate Bill S10720

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10720
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              October 9, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to  increasing  know-
   ledge of tickborne illnesses in the state of New York
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Article 2 of the public health law is amended by  adding  a
 new title 9 to read as follows:
                                  TITLE 9
                        TICKBORNE ILLNESS EDUCATION
 SECTION 269-A. TICKBORNE ILLNESS EDUCATION.
   §  269-A. TICKBORNE ILLNESS EDUCATION. 1. THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTA-
 TION WITH PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES, HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, AND EXPERTS  IN
 TICKBORNE  ILLNESSES  SHALL  CREATE  AN  OPEN  ACCESS LEARNING MODULE TO
 PROVIDE EDUCATION ON TICKBORNE ILLNESSES.
   2. THE OPEN ACCESS LEARNING MODULE SHALL BE A SHORT VIDEO COURSE WHICH
 PROVIDES EDUCATION ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS, INCLUDING, BUT  NOT  LIMITED
 TO:
   (A)  CHALLENGES IN DIAGNOSING TICKBORNE ILLNESSES, INCLUDING AN EXPLO-
 RATION OF THE DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES ON HOW LONG AN INFECTED  TICK  MUST
 BE ATTACHED BEFORE BACTERIA OR PATHOGENS ARE TRANSMITTED;
   (B) UNDERSTANDING THE VARIOUS WAYS TICKBORNE  ILLNESSES  PRESENTS  AND
 AFFECTS PATIENTS, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING TOPICS: EARLY VS. DISSEMINATED
 SIGNS;  RECOGNIZING  CLASSIC  ERYTHEMA MIGRANS RASHES VERSUS ATYPICAL OR
 ABSENT RASHES; ATYPICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND HOW TO DISTINGUISH THEM  FROM
 FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS, NEUROLOGICAL COMPLICATIONS (NEUROBORRELIOSIS), CARDI-
 AC  INVOLVEMENT  (LYME CARDITIS), AND SEVERE COINFECTIONS LIKE BABESIOS-
 IS-INDUCED HEMOLYSIS;
   (C) BIOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION OF TICKS ACROSS NEW YORK AND  THE  NORTH-
 EAST  INCLUDING:  DESCRIPTION  OF  HOW VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES ARE CARRIED
 FROM HOST ANIMALS TO HUMANS, STATISTICS ON INCREASES IN NUMBER AND  TYPE
 OF TICKBORNE DISEASES;
   (D)  INFORMATION ABOUT TICK TESTING, INCLUDING DIRECT LINKS TO ACCRED-
 ITED LABS WHERE TICKS MAY BE SENT FOR TESTING,  AND A DISCUSSION OF  HOW
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD16367-02-6
 S. 10720                            2
 
 TICK  TESTING MIGHT BE A USEFUL TOOL FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN DIAGNO-
 SIS, TREATMENT PLANS, AND IN UNDERSTANDING THE RANGE OF TICKBORNE PATHO-
 GENS ACROSS THE STATE;
   (E)  DISCUSSION  OF  THE  VARYING OPINIONS OF CRITERIA FOR SINGLE-DOSE
 DOXYCYCLINE PROPHYLAXIS AFTER HIGH-RISK TICK BITES AND POTENTIAL USEFUL-
 NESS OF FOLLOW-UP BLOODWORK;
   (F) DISCUSSION ON LIMITATIONS OF CURRENT TESTING PROTOCOLS, ESPECIALLY
 WITH RESPECT TO LYME DISEASE, AND  BALANCING  IMMEDIATE  VERSUS  DELAYED
 ANTIBIOTIC USE; AND
   (G)  DISCUSSION  OF  SCREENING  FOR TICKBORNE DISEASE AS PART OF CHIL-
 DREN'S ANNUAL WELLNESS APPOINTMENTS GIVEN THEIR INCREASED RISK  OF  TICK
 EXPOSURE AND THEIR HIGHER RATES OF INFECTION.
   3.  THE  LEARNING MODULE SHALL BE PROVIDED AT NO CHARGE TO ALL MEDICAL
 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND COUNTY DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH, AND SHALL BE
 MADE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE.
   4. THE MODULE SHALL INCLUDE A LINK FOR USERS TO  PROVIDE  FEEDBACK  ON
 THE  CONTENT  AND USEFULNESS OF TICKBORNE ILLNESS EDUCATION. THE DEPART-
 MENT SHALL UNDERGO PERIODIC REVIEW OF SUCH RESPONSES AND SHALL UNTERTAKE
 REVISION AND UPDATES AS OF THE  MODULE  EACH  YEAR  AT  A  MINIMUM.  THE
 DEPARTMENT  SHALL NOTIFY ALL MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS AND COUNTY DEPARTMENTS
 OF HEALTH WHEN UPDATED VERSIONS OF THE MODULE BECOME AVAILABLE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become  a
 law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any
 rule  or  regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its
 effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such
 date.