State Activities
A-USA Colorado Connecticut Delaware Kansas Maine Georgia Maryland Illinois Massachusetts Minnesota New Jersey New Hampshire New York Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont Virginia West Virginia
State Legislation
The Lyme Disease Association (LDA) has been working to trying to stop the spread of Lyme disease and find a cure for chronic Lyme disease for almost two decades. LDA has worked on educating multi state officials from legislators to governors to health departments. LDA has also worked with county and local officials who often are looking for ways to control tick-borne diseases in their specific areas which may be more heavily endemic than the state at large.
LDA has also worked with groups in many states to develop, pass, and implement state legislation
In this section, you can view some of these efforts and perhaps find ideas to use in your state.
The Lyme Wars are Not Over for Patients & Treating Physicians
Almost a decade ago, Lyme advocates in Minnesota, pursuing Lyme doctor protection legislation, settled for a compromise from the State Medical Board which issued a Moratorium taking action against doctors who treat long term. The Moratorium was reviewed and extended in 2014, while awaiting more research on the topic. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, […]
Dr. Robert Bransfield’s Speech to Harrisburg Bill Rally
Read below or Click here for Dr. Robert Bransfield’s Speech – Pennsylvania HB629 Rally I am a psychiatrist in New Jersey who has treated thousands of Lyme patients in the past 30 years and many have come from Pennsylvania. I am here to support passage of Pennsylvania HB629. Our greatest resource is our human capability and productivity and that is being jeopardized by an epidemic of inadequately diagnosed and inadequately treated tickborne diseases in children and adults.
Illinois Governor Signs Law Expanding Insurance Coverage for Lyme Disease Treatment
On August 12, 2019, Illinois Governor, JB Pritzker, signed House Bill 889 into law which will expand insurance coverage for Lyme Disease testing and treatment. According to the Governor, this new legislation has been greatly needed and is a big step forward in protecting children and families throughout the state. Tick-borne illnesses have been on […]
Congressional Town Meeting Weathered the Storm
On May 29, 2019, The Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases Congressional Town Meeting Sponsored by Congressman Christopher H. Smith (NJ-4) was held in the Wall Township, NJ, Municipal Building. Despite tornado warnings, flash flood warnings with torrential rains, a packed house of more than 200 people attended the three and a half hour event. Wall Mayor Kevin […]
Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases Congressional Town Meeting
The Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases Congressional Town Meeting will be held Wednesday, May 29, 2019 from 6:45pm-930pm at the Wall Township Municipal Building Community Room, 2700 Allaire Rd, Wall Township, NJ. The town meeting is sponsored by US Congressman Christopher H. Smith. Hear from nationally-recognized Lyme disease experts about current efforts to combat Lyme and Tick-Borne diseases, updates on diagnosis and treatment, and how to protect yourself and your family, and more. LDA president, Pat Smith, will join US Congressman, Christopher H. Smith; CDC, Deputy Director, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Ben Beard, PhD; and Richard Horowitz, MD as speakers at the meeting […]
NJ Passes S-560 1997 Places Ticks Under Mosquito Control
Below is an excerpt from this bill which places tick control in mosquito control. CLICK HERE FOR BILL County mosquito control agencies throughout the State are 11 currently staffed and equipped to control nuisance and vector species 12 of mosquitoes. These commissions or agencies provide a central 13 operational unit within each county with the […]
Table of State Lyme Bills
Lyme Bills, Laws, Policies, Memos, Resolutions, Hearings by state & year with status listed. The LDA has compiled the data in this table on bills, laws, resolutions, hearings over time in various states across the US. The status of each item indicates what action was taken by the governing body, for example, the bill was […]
NJ Legislation Affecting Lyme in Schools
The Lyme Disease Association, Inc. (LDA) has provided in-service training to NJ school districts since 1992. The LDA has been a registered Professional Development Provider for the State of NJ since the year 2000, providing development in the area of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. LDA has a number of resource people who help develop […]
NJ A-269 Ins. Coverage & Doctor Protection
LDA Testimony to New Jersey Assembly Health Committee June 12, 2006 By Pat Smith, President, Lyme Disease Association, Inc. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention), Lyme is the most prevalent vector-borne disease. Research shows the Lyme bacterium has the ability to enter the central nervous system less than a day’s […]