Relates to lyme disease and tick-borne infection awareness and prevention for children's overnight, summer day and traveling summer day camps; provides guidelines for treatment and notification; provides for the development of materials.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A3574
SPONSOR: Santabarbara TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to lyme disease and
tick-borne infection awareness and prevention
PURPOSE:
This would require the Department of Health, in consultation with the
Department of Environmental Conservation, to develop a Lyme and tick-
borne infection awareness and prevention program for children's summer
camps.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Directs the Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the
Commissioner of Environmental Conservation to develop instructional
tools for children's overnight camps, summer day camps and traveling
summer day camps regarding prevention and awareness of Lyme disease and
other tick-borne infections. Also requires the commissioner to promul-
gate rules and regulations for tick removal guidelines for such camps,
including procedures for parental notification.
Section 2: Establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
With rates of Lyme and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) on the rise across New
York, it is more important than ever for the state to take a proactive
approach to combatting their spread. Oftentimes that will mean imple-
menting effective awareness and prevention initiatives in places where
we know individuals are spending a great deal of time outdoors, making
them more vulnerable to Lyme and TBDs. New York is home to world-class
parks and scenic landscapes, attracting countless children and teenagers
to the wide variety of summer camps offered throughout the state. With
the mission of many of these camps centered on fostering a love of the
outdoors and an appreciation for nature, it is especially important that
campgoers and their families have the information they need to stay
healthy and tick-free. This legislation aims to ensure that our summer
camps have the tools and information they need to help reduce exposure
to Lyme and TBDs and better protect the health of their campers.
The bill would require the Department of Health, in consultation with
the Department of Environmental Conservation, to develop instructional
materials specifically for summer day, traveling, and over-night camps
to foster awareness of Lyme and TBDs and to ensure proper prevention
precautions are taken. It is important to note that many children
attending summer camps may be coming from areas where ticks are less
common or completely unknown, making these awareness efforts especially
important.
Additionally, this legislation would require the state to develop guide-
lines for the removal of ticks from attendees at summer camps, and
establish rules for notifying guardians of these events. Because symp-
toms of Lyme and TBDs may not arise until after the child has completed
a camp program, and because the symptoms associated with Lyme and TBDs
can often be misdiagnosed especially when they do not accompany a known
bite, this notification provision is especially important to ensure that
the child's guardians and healthcare providers have the information they
need to provide effective care. In preventing the spread of Lyme and
tick-borne diseases, knowledge is power, and this legislation will help
better protect countless young people as they enjoy the many summer
camps New York has to offer.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: A7271 Referred to Health
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3574
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 3, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to lyme disease and
tick-borne infection awareness and prevention
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section
2 1392-b to read as follows:
3 § 1392-b. Lyme disease and tick-borne infection awareness and
4 prevention program for children's overnight, summer day and traveling
5 summer day camps. 1. The commissioner, in consultation with the commis-
6 sioner of environmental conservation, shall develop instructional tools
7 and materials for children's overnight camps, summer day camps and trav-
8 eling summer day camps regarding prevention and awareness of lyme
9 disease and other tick-borne infections. Resources and materials shall
10 be age-appropriate for children attending such camps and provide infor-
11 mation on the identification of ticks, recommended procedures for safe
12 tick removal and best practices to provide protection from ticks. Such
13 materials may include but not be limited to video productions,
14 pamphlets, and demonstration programs to illustrate the various sizes of
15 ticks before and after engorgement to assist with the identification of
16 a tick and the reaction on the skin that may occur as a result of a tick
17 bite. Materials and instructional tools to advance and promote education
18 and awareness on tick identification and protection shall be made avail-
19 able to children's overnight camps, summer day camps and traveling
20 summer day camps upon request at no charge. Such materials and instruc-
21 tional tools may also be made available to children's non-regulated
22 camps, pursuant to section three hundred ninety-eight-f of the general
23 business law.
24 2. The commissioner shall promulgate, and review as necessary, rules
25 and regulations related to children attending children's overnight
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07294-01-3
A. 3574 2
1 camps, summer day camps, and traveling summer day camps who have a tick
2 removed from them while at such a camp. Such regulations shall include
3 but not be limited to:
4 (a) tick removal guidelines for employees and volunteers of such a
5 camp, aged eighteen years or older, to be developed by the commissioner
6 of health;
7 (b) procedures for written notification to a parent or guardian after
8 a tick has been removed from a child attending such a camp. Written
9 notification shall include, but not be limited to, the inclusion of
10 informational materials developed by the commissioner about the spread
11 of lyme disease and other tick-borne infections, signs and symptoms of
12 lyme or tick-borne infections, and recommendations for how and when to
13 seek medical treatment if needed; and
14 (c) the development of informational materials for such camps and
15 parents to be provided on the department of health website. The rules
16 and regulations established pursuant to this subdivision shall be deemed
17 to be the minimum standards that must be complied with by every chil-
18 dren's overnight camp, summer day camp, and traveling summer day camp
19 relating to the removal of ticks on children. Such rules and regulations
20 may also be implemented by children's non-regulated camps, pursuant to
21 section three hundred ninety-eight-f of the general business law, if
22 they so authorize.
23 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
