PRINTER'S NO. 3416
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2288
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY R. BROWN, BARRAR, CALTAGIRONE, SCHLEGEL CULVER,
ENGLISH, GILLEN, HILL-EVANS, METZGAR, MILLARD, B. MILLER,
MURT, PASHINSKI, PICKETT, READSHAW, SAYLOR AND WATSON,
APRIL 23, 2018
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, APRIL 23, 2018
AN ACT
Providing for school entity procedures for tick removal, for
notification and for duties of the Department of Health and
the Department of Education.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Lyme Disease
Prevention in Schools Act.
Section 2. Declaration of policy.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) In the last six years, this Commonwealth ranked
highest in the country in the number of confirmed cases of
Lyme disease.
(2) In 2016, Pennsylvania reported 12,200 cases of Lyme
disease, which translates to 122,000 new cases, and about 40%
of the nation's cases in Pennsylvania alone.
(3) The Department of Environmental Protection published
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a study in 2015 that confirmed a high risk of Lyme disease in
every county of this Commonwealth and found all 67 counties
had the blacklegged tick.
(4) The early clinical diagnosis and appropriate
treatment of these tick-borne disorders and diseases can
greatly reduce the risks of continued, diverse and chronic
symptoms that can affect every system and organ of the human
body and often every aspect of an individual's life.
(5) Residents of this Commonwealth should be aware of
early disseminated and persistent Lyme disease symptoms and
should know that a negative test for Lyme disease cannot rule
out Lyme disease.
(6) The high burden of tick-borne diseases in this
Commonwealth requires an urgent and ongoing response.
Increasing education and prevention in the school setting is
a specific recommended strategy.
(7) With children representing the highest risk group,
schools are an accessible channel to quickly reduce exposures
and catch disease early.
Section 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
"School entity." Any public school, including a charter
school or cyber charter school, private school, nonpublic
school, intermediate unit or area vocational-technical school
operating within this Commonwealth.
"School nurse." As defined in section 1401(8) of the act of
March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code
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of 1949.
"School physician." As defined in section 1401(4) of the
Public School Code of 1949.
Section 4. Duties of school entities.
(a) General rule.--In the event a school nurse or school
physician discovers a tick on a student during the school day,
the school nurse or school physician shall:
(1) Remove the tick from the student.
(2) Store the tick appropriately for a period of seven
days.
(3) Label the tick with the date of removal and the name
of the student.
(4) Notify the parent or guardian of the student, by
telephone or e-mail and by letter addressed to the parent or
guardian that is delivered by the student, on the same day
the tick is discovered. The notice shall include the
following:
(i) The student's name.
(ii) The date of tick removal.
(iii) A statement that:
(A) The school is holding the tick for seven
days and the parent or guardian may pick up the tick
for testing for Lyme disease or other tick-borne
disease.
(B) A list of options for tick testing in this
Commonwealth is available through the department's
publicly accessible Internet website.
(b) Tick removal.--When removing a tick, a school nurse or
school physician shall do so in accordance with guidelines
issued by the department.
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(c) Unavailability of school nurse and school physician.--If
a tick is discovered by an employee of a school entity and a
school nurse or school physician is not available, the school
entity shall immediately notify the parent or guardian of the
student.
Section 5. Duties of department.
(a) Guidelines.--The department shall publish guidelines
consistent with section 4 on the department's publicly
accessible Internet website and, in consultation with the
Department of Education, provide the guidelines to school
entities.
(b) Tick testing options.--The department shall provide on
its publicly accessible Internet website a list of facilities in
this Commonwealth where tick testing is available and contact
information for the facilities.
Section 6. Regulations.
The department and the Department of Education shall
promulgate regulations as necessary to carry out the provisions
of this act.
Section 7. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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