What's happening
This bill requires a public awareness campaign to educate farmers and agricultural workers about Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.
Why it matters
Targets a high-risk group. By focusing on farmers and agricultural workers, the campaign directly reaches those most exposed to ticks, aiming to reduce disease rates in a particularly vulnerable sector.
Emphasizes practical prevention and early detection. The initiative goes beyond general awareness by including symptom recognition, available treatments, and specific preventive steps, helping workers take action before diseases become severe.
Leverages multiple communication channels. The campaign's use of social media, mass media, public forums, and the department’s website ensures broad and accessible outreach, increasing the likelihood that vital information will reach even rural and remote communities.
Promotes inter-agency collaboration. By mandating cooperation between the agriculture and health departments, the bill encourages a more coordinated and informed approach to tackling tick-borne illnesses in New York's agricultural industry.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Department of Agriculture and Markets
Its commissioner would develop and conduct a tick-borne disease awareness campaign, including materials and information on the department’s website.
Department of Health
Its commissioner would be consulted on developing and conducting the campaign.
Farmers
The campaign would educate them about Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, symptoms, available treatments and preventive measures.
Farm workers and other agricultural employees
They would be a target audience for information on recognizing tick-borne disease symptoms and reducing the threat from disease-carrying ticks.
Headline styles
Promote Lyme Disease Awareness
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to agriculture
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to agriculture
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1167
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5873
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 16, 2019
Introduced by Sen. METZGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to a public awareness campaign regarding Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new section 16-b to read as follows:
§ 16-b. Public awareness campaign regarding Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of health, shall develop and conduct a public awareness campaign regarding Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. The campaign may utilize public forums, social media and mass media, including but not limited to internet, radio, and print advertising and shall include materials and information on the department's website. The campaign shall be tailored to educate farmers, farm workers, and other agricultural employees regarding: (a) Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases; (b) recognition of the symptoms of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases; (c) the available treatments for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases; and (d) preventive measures that may be taken to lessen the threat posed by ticks carrying Lyme disease or other tickborne diseases.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11790-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to a public awareness campaign regarding Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases
Purpose
The purpose of this legislation is to raise awareness regarding Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases in the agricultural community.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 - Creates a new section 16-b of the agriculture and markets law establishing a public awareness campaign regarding Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. The campaign will seek to educate farmers, farmworkers, and others regarding Lyme diseases and other tick-borne diseases, recognition of symptoms, available treatments, and preventive measures.
Section 2 - Effective Date - Immediately.
Justification
Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to people through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks (commonly known as "deer ticks"). In 2015, there were 3252 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in New York. As Lyme disease continues to spread across New York, it is imperative that New Yorker's are knowledgeable about the disease and how to prevent it. In particular, farmers and farmworkers spend a significant portion of their work outdoors, which puts them at particular risk for Lyme disease. This bill seeks to educate the agricultural community about the risks of Lyme disease and preventive measures.
Legislative history
New Bill
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
Immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.