What's happening
This bill requires coroners and medical examiners to report cases of Lyme or other tick-borne diseases found after death.
Why it matters
Improves understanding of Lyme and tick-borne disease prevalence and impact. by ensuring that cases detected post-mortem are systematically reported, helping public health officials gather more accurate data.
Could influence public health strategies and resource allocation. since more complete reporting may reveal higher rates or unexpected patterns of these diseases, prompting adjustments in prevention and education efforts.
Raises awareness among medical professionals and the public. about the potential for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases to go undiagnosed during life, possibly encouraging better screening and recognition of symptoms.
May affect future research and policy decisions. by providing a clearer picture of the role tick-borne diseases play in mortality, potentially driving more funding or legislative action for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Report Tick Diseases After Death
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to health
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 59–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.279
- Referred to health
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to health
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 60–0
Show 4 earlier actions
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.123
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
29
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- 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. 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, as determined by the commissioner, the coroner, pathologist, medical examiner or other qualified person 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.
LBD00274-01-5
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, as determined by the commissioner, they shall report the case promptly to the Health Department.
Section 2 states 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 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 statistics on Lyme and tick-borne diseases may under count the total number of deaths because these infections exacerbate pre-existing conditions and 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, such cases are reported as infections to the Health Department for appropriate surveillance and statistical accounting.
Legislative history
2023-2024: S62/A2286 - Passed Senate/Died in Health 2021-2022: S677B/A4621B - Passed Senate/Died in Health 2019-2020: S6415 - Passed Senate 2020-2021: S677A - Passed Senate
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.