WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Josh Riley (NY-19) announced today that he is co-sponsoring the bipartisan Kay Hagan Tick Act Reauthorization (H.R. 4348), a bill to step up the fight against Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses across Upstate New York.
“Too many families in Upstate New York know deeply and personally what it’s like to deal with tick-borne diseases,” said Riley. “Kids are struggling in school, workers are losing time on the job, and medical bills are piling up. This bill delivers the resources our health departments need to prevent these diseases, detect them earlier, and get folks treated faster,” Riley said.
New York is one of the hardest-hit states for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, and local health departments need backup. 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.
“The number of people experiencing tick-borne diseases continues to rise at an alarming rate. Thank you, Representative Riley, for co-sponsoring H.R. 4348, which reauthorizes the Kay Hagan Tick Act. This legislation will provide the much-needed resources for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of tick-borne diseases,” said Carolyn Price, EdD, Executive Director of the Upstate New York Towns Association.
###
