Pennsylvania SR 325: A Resolution urging the Department of Environmental Protection to cease all action on its "cap and invest" regulation.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 1741
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No. 325
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY BROOKS, LANGERHOLC, L. WILLIAMS, PHILLIPS-HILL,
MASTRIANO, HAYWOOD, MARTIN, CULVER, VOGEL, KANE, J. WARD,
COSTA AND COMITTA, MAY 21, 2026
REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, MAY 21, 2026
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of May 2026 as "Lyme Disease and Tick-
Borne Illness Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by
spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans
through the bite of an infected Ixodes scapularis tick, also
known as a blacklegged tick or deer tick; and
WHEREAS, Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses such as
babesiosis, bartonellosis, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted
fever, ehrlichiosis, Heartland virus, Powassan virus disease,
Borrelia miyamotoi, alpha-gal allergy syndrome and others pose a
serious threat to the health and quality of life of many
residents of this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Early stage symptoms of Lyme disease can include
erythema migrans, a red, oval or round rash, fever, chills,
headache, muscle and joint pain and swollen lymph nodes; and
WHEREAS, Later stage symptoms of Lyme disease can include
severe headaches and neck stiffness, additional erythema
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migrans, arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling,
particularly in the knees and other large joints, facial palsy,
intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints and bones, heart
palpitations or an irregular heartbeat, episodes of dizziness or
shortness of breath, inflammation of the brain and spinal cord,
nerve pain, shooting pains, numbness or tingling in the hands or
feet and problems with short-term memory; and
WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease
in the United States and is one of the most common reportable
infectious diseases in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, In 2025, the Department of Health recorded 18,747
lab-confirmed cases of Lyme disease, a significant increase over
16,624 lab-informed cases in 2024; and
WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimate underreporting by a factor of 10 and project occurrence
rates, more accurately, near 187,000; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 20% of Lyme disease cases will cause
long-term chronic symptoms; and
WHEREAS, Approximately one in four cases of Lyme disease
occur in children, and children five to nine years of age are at
the greatest risk for contracting Lyme disease; and
WHEREAS, In 2022, 54.9% of ticks tested in this Commonwealth
were infected with at least one tick-borne pathogen, including
Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, hard tick relapsing
fever and Powassan virus; and
WHEREAS, Also in 2022, Pennsylvania reported its first human
case of Heartland virus, an arbovirus transmitted by the lone
star tick; and
WHEREAS, In 2024, Pennsylvania reported 1,071 cases of
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anaplasmosis, a bacterial disease transmitted by deer ticks,
which is on the rise as cases have doubled nearly every year for
the past five years and are now found in almost every county in
Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Results from Department of Environmental Protection
tick studies conducted during 2019 through 2024 found additional
evidence of Powassan virus disease in multiple counties; and
WHEREAS, Additionally, Department of Environmental Protection
tick studies conducted during 2023 through 2024 found that
approximately 1.4% of adult Ixodes scapularis ticks in
Pennsylvania were infected with Borrelia miyamotoi, which was
found in ticks in 34 Pennsylvania counties and causes hard tick
relapsing fever in humans; and
WHEREAS, Beginning in 2026, the Department of Health
requested positive reports of alpha-gal allergy syndrome from
testing laboratories, which will be furnished voluntarily
because alpha-gal allergy syndrome is not a reportable condition
in Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Alpha-gal allergy syndrome is an allergy to
mammalian meat products associated with the bite of a lone star
tick, which is present in Pennsylvania, although populations are
low at this time; and
WHEREAS, Positive alpha-gal allergy syndrome reports from
laboratories that voluntarily provide positive reports show that
more than 300 persons per year test positive for alpha-gal
allergy syndrome and that persons with alpha-gal allergy
syndrome may experience symptoms ranging from mild
gastrointestinal irritation to anaphylaxis requiring
hospitalization after consuming mammalian meat products; and
WHEREAS, The blacklegged tick has been found in all 67
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counties in this Commonwealth, verifying that every resident
from Erie to Philadelphia must take precautions to prevent the
spread of Lyme disease and tic