General Assembly Committee Bill No. 368
January Session, 2013 LCO No. 5259
*05259SB00368PH_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
General Assembly
Committee Bill No. 368
January Session, 2013
LCO No. 5259
*05259SB00368PH_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN ADVISORY COUNCIL ON LYME DISEASE AND OTHER TICK-BORNE DISEASES AND REQUIRING THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO CONDUCT A SURVEY CONCERNING LYME DISEASE TESTING.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established an advisory council on Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases for the purpose of assisting the Commissioner of Public Health in developing best practices for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. The advisory council shall: (1) Review information and guidelines concerning Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases that have been published by the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Veterinary Medical Association and other national organizations; (2) review practices in other states to treat and diagnose Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases; (3) identify opportunities for coordination among state agencies and between the state and the federal government, local government agencies or private organizations to improve diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases; (4) consider various scientific viewpoints concerning the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases; (5) identify funding sources for research, education and public awareness programs concerning Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases; and (6) make recommendations to the Commissioner of Public Health concerning the best practices for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, that shall include, but not be limited to, recommendations concerning a public awareness program and practices to increase coordination among state and local government agencies.
(b) The committee shall be comprised of the following members:
(1) The Commissioners of Public Health, Agriculture and Energy and Environmental Protection, or said commissioners' designees;
(2) The executive director of the Commission on Children, or the executive director's designee;
(3) Three members appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one each who shall be (A) a physician with not less than five years of recent experience diagnosing and treating Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, (B) an ophthalmologist with not less than five years of recent experience treating patients with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and (C) a representative of an organization focused on Lyme disease prevention;
(4) Three members appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one each who shall be (A) a rheumatologist with not less than five years of recent experience treating patients with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, (B) a researcher affiliated with an institution of higher education who has conducted scientific studies concerning the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of Lyme disease or another tick-borne disease, and (C) a veterinarian who has not less than five years of recent experience treating animals with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases;
(5) Two members appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, one each who shall be (A) a representative of an organization focused on the treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and (B) a person who has been diagnosed with, and is being treated for, Lyme disease or another tick-borne disease;
(6) Two members appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one each who shall be (A) a psychologist with not less than five years of recent experience treating patients who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and (B) a person who has been diagnosed with, and is being treated for, Lyme disease or another tick-borne disease;
(7) Two members appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, one each who shall be (A) a neurologist with not less than five years of recent experience treating patients who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and (B) a representative of the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society; and
(8) Two members appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one each who shall be (A) a pediatrician with not less than five years of recent experience treating patients who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and (B) a researcher affiliated with an institution of higher education who has conducted scientific studies concerning the treatment of infectious disease.
(c) All appointments to the advisory council shall be made not later than July 31, 2013. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority. Council members shall serve three-year terms.
(d) The members shall elect the chairperson of the advisory council from among the members of the advisory council. A majority of the council members shall constitute a quorum. Such chairperson shall schedule the first meeting of the advisory council, which shall be held not later than September 1, 2013. The advisory council shall meet quarterly and at other times upon the call of the chair or upon the request of a majority of the council members.
(e) Members shall receive no compensation except for reimbursement for necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties.
(f) On or before September 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, the advisory council shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, on its activities to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health.
(g) On or before January 1, 2015, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Public Health shall report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health concerning funding and expenditures relating to Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. Such report shall include, but need not be limited to (1) identification of the amount and source of all funding received by the Department of Public Health during the previous calendar year for activities relating to Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and (2) a description of activities engaged in by the department during the previous calendar year relating to Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and the amount expended for each such activity.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
from passage
New section
Statement of Purpose:
To establish an advisory council on Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. BARTOLOMEO, 13th Dist.; SEN. DOYLE, 9th Dist. SEN. GERRATANA, 6th Dist.; REP. ABERCROMBIE, 83rd Dist. REP. FAWCETT, 133rd Dist.; REP. FRITZ, 90th Dist. REP. LESSER, 100th Dist.; REP. ZONI, 81st Dist. REP. WIDLITZ, 98th Dist.; SEN. WITKOS, 8th Dist. REP. ZIOBRON, 34th Dist.
Co-Sponsors:
SEN. BARTOLOMEO, 13th Dist.; SEN. DOYLE, 9th Dist.
SEN. GERRATANA, 6th Dist.; REP. ABERCROMBIE, 83rd Dist.
REP. FAWCETT, 133rd Dist.; REP. FRITZ, 90th Dist.
REP. LESSER, 100th Dist.; REP. ZONI, 81st Dist.
REP. WIDLITZ, 98th Dist.; SEN. WITKOS, 8th Dist.
REP. ZIOBRON, 34th Dist.
S.B. 368