What's happening
This bill requires medical examiners to report deaths involving Lyme or tick-borne diseases to the health department.
Why it matters
Provides more accurate data. on deaths involving Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, which can help public health officials better understand the true impact and prevalence of these illnesses in New York.
May influence public health policy and resource allocation. , as increased reporting could reveal a higher burden of disease than previously recognized, potentially leading to more funding or targeted prevention efforts.
Improves epidemiological surveillance. , helping identify trends, outbreaks, or geographic areas with higher risks, which can inform education campaigns and preventive strategies for both the public and healthcare providers.
Raises awareness among medical professionals. about the significance of tick-borne diseases as contributing or underlying factors in deaths, potentially leading to better diagnosis and management in both living and deceased cases.
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Who cares
Coroners and medical examiners
They would have to promptly report cases when an examination reveals that a deceased person had Lyme or another tick-borne disease at the time of death.
Pathologists and other qualified examiners
They would face the same reporting requirement when they discover these infections during examinations of deceased people.
New York State Department of Health
The department would receive the reports, and the health commissioner would prescribe how they must be submitted.
Headline styles
Report Lyme Deaths
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to health
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.531
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1307
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 14, 2019
Introduced by Sens. SERINO, AMEDORE, CARLUCCI, HELMING, JACOBS, LITTLE, O'MARA, RANZENHOFER, RITCHIE, SAVINO, SEWARD, TEDISCO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the reporting of lyme and tick-borne disease infection after death
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Article 27-H of the public health law is amended by adding a new section 2799 to read as follows:
§ 2799. Reporting of lyme and tick-borne disease infection after death. If a coroner, pathologist, medical examiner, or other person qualified to conduct an examination of a deceased person discovers that at the time of death the individual was afflicted with lyme or other tick-borne diseases, he or she shall report the case promptly to the department according to the manner prescribed by the commissioner.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06805-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to the reporting of lyme and tick-borne disease infection after death
Purpose
Relates to reporting Lyme and tick-borne disease infections after death
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends the public health law to add a new section 2799 to require that if a coroner, pathologist, medical examiner, or other person qualified to conduct an examination of a deceased person discov- ers that at the time of death the individual was afflicted with Lyme or other tick-borne diseases they shall report the case promptly to the Health Department.
Section 2: Establishes the effective date.
Justification
In August 2017, the Senate Task Force on Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases, in conjunction with the Senate Standing Committee on Health conducted a public hearing regarding the public health threats posed by Lyme and tick-borne diseases in New York State. In part, the hearing was prompted by recent infections and deaths in Upstate counties of Powassan virus, a deadly tick-borne infection that has continued to be identified through surveillance by the Health Department.
At the hearing, the Commissioner of Health, and other Department staff, indicated that the current statistics on Lyme and tick-borne infections may not include total deaths because these infections exacerbate pre-ex- isting conditions or may not be listed as the precipitating cause of death. Nevertheless, these infections seriously compromise patient health and have been noted by public health authorities to pose fatal risks. As such, it is important that in cases where Lyme and other tick- borne illnesses underlie the primary cause of death, that such cases are reported as infections to the Health Department for appropriate surveil- lance and statistic accounting.
Legislative history
2017-18: S.7168 Passed Senate/Referred to Health
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.