PRINTER'S NO. 466
No. 451 Session of 1989
INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, HOLL, SALVATORE, DAWIDA, ANDREZESKI AND
JONES, FEBRUARY 6, 1989
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, FEBRUARY 6, 1989
AN ACT
1 Providing for control and treatment of Lyme disease; and making
2 appropriations.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Lyme Disease
7 Prevention and Control Act.
8 Section 2. Purpose.
9 The General Assembly finds that Lyme disease poses a serious
10 threat to the health and welfare of the people of this
11 Commonwealth. It is the intent of this act to provide research
12 for the treatment of Lyme disease and to create greater public
13 awareness of the dangers of the disease and available preventive
14 measures.
15 Section 3. Reporting.
16 Every physician who treats or examines any person who is
17 suffering from or who is suspected of having Lyme disease shall
1 make a prompt report of the disease to the local board of health
2 or to the Department of Health.
3 Section 4. Powers and duties.
4 (a) Department of Health.--The Department of Health shall
5 have the following powers and duties:
6 (1) Promulgate regulations to enforce the requirements
7 of this act.
8 (2) Identify appropriate medical or other facilities to
9 conduct research for the treatment or prevention of Lyme
10 disease.
11 (3) Develop a program of general public information and
12 education regarding Lyme disease, including programs for
13 secondary schools.
14 (4) Establish an obstetrics registry to coordinate the
15 collection of information from pregnant women who have
16 contracted Lyme disease and any neonatal effects.
17 (b) Department of Education.--The Department of Education
18 shall cooperate with the Department of Health to develop a
19 program of education on Lyme disease for secondary schools in
20 this Commonwealth.
21 Section 5. Appropriations.
22 (a) Research.--The sum of $100,000, or as much thereof as
23 may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of
24 Health to fund research for the study, treatment or prevention
25 of Lyme disease, including vector control or eradication and
26 related field studies.
27 (b) Education.--The sum of $100,000, or as much thereof as
28 may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of
29 Health for the development of the program of public information
30 and education provided for in this act.
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1 (c) Secondary school.--The sum of $100,000, or as much
2 thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the
3 Department of Education for the development of a program of
4 public information for secondary schools, as provided for in
5 this act.
6 Section 6. Effective date.
7 This act shall take effect immediately.
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