Lyme Legislation in Pennsylvania

History of Lyme Legislation in Pennsylvania

2011: LymeActionPA mobilizes Lyme patients in Pennsylvania to rise-up, and advocate for sensible Lyme legislation.

2013: Senator Stewart Greenleaf sponsors SB177 - The Lyme and Related Tick-Borne Disease surveillance, Education, Prevention and Treatment Act.

2014: SB177 passes to become ACT 83 in June 2014, and is known as “The Lyme and Related Tick-Borne Disease Surveillance, Education, Prevention and Treatment Act.” 

2015: ACT 83 establishes “The Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Disease Task Force” Advisory Board.  In September 2015, they author a final report entitled, “Lyme Disease in Pennsylvania,” along with specific recommendations. 

2022: The Pennsylvania Secretary of Health’s office releases a report from the Lyme and Other Tickborne Diseases Interagency Workgroup in June 2022.

2023: The Department of Health disbands the Lyme and Other Tickborne Diseases Interagency Workgroup. PA Lyme protested the decision.

2024: ACT 120, known as the Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Illness Diagnosis and Treatment Act, sponsored by Senator Michele Brooks is signed into law. This act focuses on tick bites in schools and how they are addressed. See below for more information on this act and the FAQ. 

2025: Senate Bill 826, known as the Patient Test Result Information, is sponsored by Senator Marty Flynn. 

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Become a Lyme Advocate … and get involved!  

Check this page frequently for legislation updates and any calls to action for pending Lyme bills. We encourage you to reach out to your legislators to let them know about your Lyme journey and request their vote in passing sensible Lyme legislation!   

Click here to find your legislator.  

You can join our PA Lyme Legislation advocacy team by contacting us at info@palyme.org.

PA Department of Health - Tickborne Diseases Dashboard

The Pennsylvania Department of Health created a Tickborne Diseases Dashboard to provide PA tick-borne disease statistics, information, and additional materials.

A forest scene with tall trees and sunlight filtering through the leaves. Overlaid text reads, "Protect. Check. Remove." and a website URL, health.pa.gov/ticks, is included with a message about learning more about tick safety.

Enacted PA Lyme Legislation

There are two Lyme legislation bills that have been enacted into law in Pennsylvania: Act 83 and 120.  

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  • Signed into law in 2014 (see photo on the left), it is known as the “Lyme and Related Tick-Borne Surveillance, Education, Prevention and Treatment Act.” ACT 83 created an independent task force to create a written set of recommendations and guidelines. Governor Corbett signed ACT 83 into law, along with representatives of PA Lyme. The task force established by this law was charged with studying the issue and making recommendations to the PA Department of Health about: 

    • Surveillance and prevention of Lyme disease, including updating policies to recognize symptoms of Lyme disease 

    • Raising awareness about the long-term effects of the misdiagnosis of Lyme disease 

    • Development and dissemination of information for various audiences – the public, health care professionals, school administrators and faculty, parents and students. 

    • Collaborating with the Department of Environmental Protection to test ticks, provide test results, and publish infection rates on its publicly accessible website. 

    • Determining the role of schools in the prevention of Lyme disease, including, but not limited to, prompt reporting.  

    Read the PA 2023 Lyme and Other Tickborne Diseases Surveillance Report (Updated May 2025).

  • The Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Illness Diagnosis and Treatment Act of 2024 has implications for how schools address ticks and Lyme disease exposure in students. Read the Act 120 FAQ. Key provisions related to Lyme disease include:

    Tick Removal in Schools: School nurses, school physicians, or designated employees are now required to remove ticks from students in accordance with guidelines issued by the Secretary of Health. 

    • Tick Preservation and Testing: After removal, the tick must be preserved, and parents or guardians are informed about the option to send it to the Tick Research Lab of Pennsylvania for testing.

    • Parental Notification and Education: Schools are required to notify parents if a tick is removed from their child and provide information on how to send the tick for testing.

    • Data Collection (De-identified): Schools may note the diseases present in a tick (without identifying student information) for the purpose of collecting data on tick-borne diseases in the area.

Pending PA Lyme Legislation

  • SB461, sponsored by Senator Michelle Brooks, introduced legislation is designed to improve the testing, long term treatment, and insurance coverage for Lyme disease. PA Lyme’s legislative response to SB461 can be found here.

  • SB826, sponsored by Senator Marty Flynn, this legislation focuses on Lyme disease testing disclosure. The bill includes provisions for health care practitioners to disclose Lyme disease testing information to patients.  At a minimum the disclosure would state: 

    “Patients undergoing a Lyme disease test should be aware that Lyme disease tests vary and may produce results that are not accurate. This means a patient may not be able to rely on a positive or negative test. If you continue to experience symptoms, you should contact your health care provider and inquire about the appropriateness of retesting and the applicability for pursuing additional or alternative treatment options.”