Bill Text: CT SB00368 | 2013 | General Assembly | Comm Sub
Bill Title: An Act Establishing An Advisory Council On Lyme Disease And Other Tick-borne Diseases.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-3-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-06-04 - Senate Recommitted to Public Health [SB00368 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2013-SB00368-Comm_Sub.html
General Assembly |
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January Session, 2013 |
*_____SB00368PH____040313____* |
AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN ADVISORY COUNCIL ON LYME DISEASE AND OTHER TICK-BORNE DISEASES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established an advisory council on Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, including, but not limited to, bartonellosis, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, for the purpose of assisting the Commissioner of Public Health in developing best practices for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of such diseases. The advisory council shall: (1) Review information and guidelines concerning Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases that have been published by the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Veterinary Medical Association and other national organizations focused on Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases; (2) review policies and current practices in other states relating to the treatment and diagnosis of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases; (3) identify opportunities for coordination among state agencies and between the state and the federal government, local government agencies and private organizations to improve the dissemination of information on best practices to diagnose and treat Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases; (4) make recommendations to the Commissioner of Public Health concerning the best practices for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases; and (5) make recommendations to the Commissioner of Public Health concerning the dissemination of information on Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases through the Department of Public Health's Internet web site and printed materials published by the department to increase coordination among the state, local government agencies and health care providers in the state.
(b) The council shall be comprised of the following members:
(1) The Commissioners of Public Health, Agriculture and Energy and Environmental Protection, or said commissioners' designees;
(2) The executive director of the Commission on Children, or the executive director's designee;
(3) Three members appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one each of whom shall be (A) a physician with not less than five years of recent experience diagnosing and treating Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, (B) an ophthalmologist with not less than five years of recent experience treating patients with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and (C) a representative of the Infectious Diseases Society of America;
(4) Three members appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one each of whom shall be (A) a rheumatologist with not less than five years of recent experience treating patients with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, (B) a researcher affiliated with an institution of higher education who has conducted scientific studies concerning the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of Lyme disease or another tick-borne disease, and (C) a veterinarian who has not less than five years of recent experience treating animals with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases;
(5) Two members appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, one each of whom shall be (A) a representative of an organization focused on the treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and (B) a person who has been diagnosed with, and is being treated for, Lyme disease or another tick-borne disease;
(6) Two members appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one each of whom shall be (A) a psychologist with not less than five years of recent experience treating patients who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and (B) a person who has been diagnosed with, and is being treated for, Lyme disease or another tick-borne disease;
(7) Two members appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, one each of whom shall be (A) a neurologist with not less than five years of recent experience treating patients who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and (B) a representative of the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society; and
(8) Two members appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one each of whom shall be (A) a pediatrician with not less than five years of recent experience treating patients who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and (B) a researcher affiliated with an institution of higher education who has conducted scientific studies concerning the treatment of infectious disease.
(c) All appointments to the advisory council shall be made not later than July 31, 2013. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority. Council members shall serve three-year terms.
(d) The members shall elect the chairperson of the advisory council from among the members of the advisory council. A majority of the council members shall constitute a quorum. Such chairperson shall schedule the first meeting of the advisory council, which shall be held not later than September 1, 2013. The advisory council shall meet quarterly and at other times upon the call of the chairperson or upon the request of a majority of the council members.
(e) Members shall receive no compensation except for reimbursement for necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties.
(f) On or before September 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, the advisory council shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, on its activities to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health.
(g) On or before January 1, 2015, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Public Health shall report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health concerning funding and expenditures relating to Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. Such report shall include, but need not be limited to (1) identification of the amount and source of all funding received by the Department of Public Health during the previous calendar year for activities relating to Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and (2) a description of activities engaged in by the department during the previous calendar year relating to Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and the amount expended for each such activity.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
from passage |
New section |
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In section 1(a), the phrase: "Bartonella, Babesiosis, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia" was changed to "bartonellosis, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and ehrilichiosis", for accuracy; in section 1(a)(3), the phrase "local government agencies or private organizations" was changed to "local government agencies and private organizations", for clarity; in section 1(b), "committee" was changed to "council", for accuracy; and in section 1 (b)(3) to (b)(8), inclusive, "who shall be" was changed to "of whom shall be", for consistency with the style of the general statutes.
PH |
Joint Favorable Subst. |