WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Josh Riley (NY-19) has secured funding to fight tick-borne diseases in Upstate New York. On Monday, July 20, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act—bipartisan legislation co-sponsored by Riley to prevent, detect and treat Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

New York is one of the hardest-hit states for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases and cases have been rising in recent years, according to Riley's office. This bill meets the scale of the crisis: extending federal programs through 2030, ramping up the national strategy to combat vector-borne diseases, expanding regional Centers of Excellence and directing critical funding to local agencies so they can track, contain and stop new outbreaks before they spread.

“Tick-borne illnesses like Lyme can be devastating: kids struggling in school, workers losing time on the job and medical bills piling up,” said Riley. “With these diseases on the rise, I’m proud to have secured more funding to ramp up our response, support local health departments and keep Upstate New Yorkers safe.”

Specifically, the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act would:

• Require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue implementing and updating, as appropriate, its national strategy to prevent and control tick-borne diseases by expanding research, improving testing, and coordinating response efforts across the federal government.
• Reauthorize Regional Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Disease for five years. These centers lead the response to tick-borne diseases in the United States.
• Reauthorize CDC Grants to state health departments to improve data collection and analysis, support early detection and diagnosis, improve treatment, and raise awareness.