THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, STOUT, TOMLINSON, KITCHEN, RAFFERTY, WASHINGTON, ERICKSON, GORDNER, STACK, O'PAKE, BOSCOLA, COSTA AND BROWNE, FEBRUARY 20, 2009

REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, FEBRUARY 20, 2009  

AN ACT

Providing for Lyme disease education, prevention and treatment.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Lyme Disease

Education, Prevention and Treatment Act.

Section 2.  Purpose.

The General Assembly finds that Lyme disease poses a serious

threat to the health and welfare of the people of this

Commonwealth. It is the intent of this act to provide the public

with information and education to create greater public

awareness of the dangers of and measures available to prevent

Lyme disease. It is also the intent of this act to provide

education to health care providers regarding the prevention,

diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease.

Section 3.  Powers and duties.

The Department of Health shall have the following powers and

duties:

(1)  Promulgate regulations to enforce the requirements

of this act.

(2)  Develop a program of general public information and

education regarding Lyme disease.

(3)  Develop a program to educate health care providers

to prevent, diagnose and treat Lyme disease.

(4)  Cooperate with the Pennsylvania Game Commission to

disseminate the information required under paragraph (2) to

licensees of the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the general

public.

(5)  Cooperate with the Department of Conservation and

Natural Resources to disseminate the information required

under paragraph (2) to the general public and visitors of

State parks and lands.

(6)  Cooperate with the professional associations of

health care providers to provide the education program for

professionals required under paragraph (3).

Section 4.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect immediately.