Pennsylvania SB 461: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in firearms and other dangerous articles, providing for report of theft or loss of firearm; and imposing a penalty.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 414
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 461
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BROOKS, COLLETT, FONTANA, SANTARSIERO, LANGERHOLC,
CULVER, COSTA, COMITTA, KANE, J. WARD AND L. WILLIAMS,
MARCH 17, 2025
REFERRED TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, MARCH 17, 2025
AN ACT
Providing for patient access to diagnostics and treatments for
Lyme disease and related tick-borne illnesses; and requiring
health care policies to provide certain coverage.
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
and Related Tick-Borne Illness Diagnosis and Treatment Act.
Section 2. Legislative findings.
The General Assembly finds as follows:
(1) This Commonwealth has the highest incidence of Lyme
disease in the country in 10 of the past 11 years. Each year,
approximately 100,000 Pennsylvanians get Lyme disease.
(2) In 2018, there were 102,080 confirmed and probable
Lyme disease cases reported in this Commonwealth, which
represents 30.32% of all cases in the United States. This is
an incidence rate of 70.3 per 100,000 confirmed and probable
cases in 2019.
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(3) From 2010 to 2019, there have been more than 66,144
confirmed Lyme disease cases in this Commonwealth, but due to
the fact that the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's number only represents confirmed cases, the
estimated number of Lyme disease cases are 661,440 based on
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 10 times
multiplier of actual cases. Therefore, with more than
12,960,000 Pennsylvanians in 2019, an estimated 5.1% of
Pennsylvanians contracted Lyme disease in the same 10 years.
(4) In July 2021, the Department of Environmental
Protection, the Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources and the Physician General discussed the high
incidence in this Commonwealth resulting in high prevalence
of ticks and confirmed a high risk of Lyme disease in every
county of this Commonwealth. The Department of Environmental
Protection collected two times more blacklegged tick nymphs
in 2021 compared to 2020 and stated that infected blacklegged
ticks are present in all 67 counties in this Commonwealth.
(5) According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne
disease in the United States.
(6) The early clinical diagnosis and appropriate
treatment of these related tick-borne illnesses can greatly
reduce the risks of continued, diverse and chronic symptoms
that can affect every system and organ of the human body and
often every aspect of an individual's life.
(7) Between 10% to 40% of Lyme disease patients may go
on to suffer from complex, chronic/persistent conditions
which may be more difficult to treat.
(8) There are multiple diagnostic and treatment
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guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and
related tick-borne illness.
(9) Scientific understanding of these complex related
tick-borne illnesses is expected to evolve rapidly in the
next decade, including prevention, diagnosis and treatment
options.
(10) A 2013 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
study found that only 39% of individuals with Lyme disease
were treated using short-term antibiotics. The majority of
the individuals were treated for longer periods.
(11) In 2014, the Massachusetts Center for Health and
Information Analysis found little to no increase in insurance
costs as a result of expanding coverage to include longer-
term courses of antibiotics. The expansion by fully insured
health plans was projected to result in an average annual
increase, over five years, to the typical member's monthly
health insurance premiums of between a negligible amount and
13¢ per year.
Section 3. Legislative purpose.
The purposes of this act are:
(1) To promote the education and awareness of Lyme
disease and related tick-borne illnesses among health care
practitioners.
(2) To substantially reduce the incidence of related
tick-borne illnesses by providing insurance coverage for
diagnostic testing and treatment.
(3) To eliminate or, at the very least, significantly
reduce the number of confirmed Lyme disease cases and related
tick-borne illnesses in this Commonwealth.
(4) To promote the availability of tick testing to aid
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in determining a clinical diagnosis.
(5) To promote the availability of diagnostic testing
and antibiotic therapies for patients by licensed health care
practitioners.
(6) To improve public awareness of Lyme disease and
related tick-borne illnesses and educate the public about
tick bite prevention practices that can reduce the incidence
and prevalence of ticks in this Commonwealth.
Section 4. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used