New Federal Law Secures Research Funding to Fight Rising Tick-Borne Diseases

2026-10-02 politics

Washington, Thursday, 1 October 2026.
Presidential approval of the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act extends critical federal research funding through 2030, empowering public health infrastructure to combat rising Lyme disease cases.

Legislative Signing and Bipartisan Support

On September 30, 2026, the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act was signed into law, marking a significant bipartisan legislative achievement [2][5]. President Donald Trump signed the bill, which was authored by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) [5][7]. The legislation ensures continued federal funding for vector-borne disease surveillance and research through Fiscal Year 2030 [1][2]. This reauthorization builds upon the original Kay Hagan Tick Act enacted in 2019, named for former Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) who died from the Powassan virus [2][5]. Since the original law’s implementation, the number of health departments reporting tick-surveillance data increased from six to 44 [1][2]. This represents a substantial expansion in public health monitoring capacity across the United States [GPT].

Regional Disease Burden and Research

The urgency of the legislation is highlighted by rising case numbers in affected states. Maine reported over 4,200 cases of Lyme disease in 2025, continuing a trend of record-high annual levels [2][3]. Similarly, Minnesota recorded 3,551 probable Lyme disease cases in 2024, alongside hundreds of cases of anaplasmosis and babesiosis [7][8]. Funding from the act supports local efforts, including Lyme disease vaccine trials at the MaineHealth Institute for Research [3][5]. The law mandates the Department of Health and Human Services to continue the National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases in People [1][8].

Funding Provisions and Strategic Mandates

The Act reauthorizes four Regional Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases located at universities in Massachusetts, California, Florida, and Wisconsin [2]. It also reauthorizes CDC grants to state health departments to strengthen surveillance and early detection [8]. The program authorization had expired at the end of Fiscal Year 2025, making this renewal critical for ongoing operations [2]. Advocacy groups such as the Center for Lyme Action celebrate the move as a foundation for future work in diagnostics and therapeutics [1][6]. Meghan Bradshaw, Executive Director of the Center for Lyme Action, noted that reauthorization is not the end but a foundation for what comes next [1].

Congressional Approval and Surveillance Growth

The bill received unanimous approval in the U.S. Senate in August 2026 and passed the U.S. House of Representatives in September 2026 [1][7]. Senator Angus King (I-ME) was also an original co-sponsor of the bill, demonstrating cross-party cooperation [5]. This collaboration underscores the shared priority of addressing vector-borne diseases at the federal level [GPT]. The increase in health departments reporting data from 6 to 44 since 2019 shows a percentage growth of 633.333 in surveillance coverage [1][2]. This expanded infrastructure aims to improve testing, tracking, and treatment nationwide [3].

Sources

Healthcare Policy Federal Funding