S 4453: Authorizes the commissioner of health to award grants for graduate medical education in Lyme and tick-borne disease and to designate organizations as centers for Lyme and tick-borne disease excellence.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4453 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 5, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. STEC, GALLIVAN, TEDISCO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to grants for gradu- ate medical education in Lyme and tick-borne disease 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 2799 to read as follows: 3 § 2799. Grants for graduate medical education in Lyme and tick-borne 4 disease. 1. (a) The commissioner is authorized, within amounts appropri- 5 ated for such purpose to make grants in support of certified fellowship 6 education programs including but not limited to, preventative medicine, 7 chronic disease, or epidemiology, to establish or expand education in 8 Lyme and tick-borne disease for graduate medical education, and to 9 increase the opportunities for trainee education in Lyme and tick-borne 10 disease. 11 (b) Grants under this subdivision for graduate medical education and 12 education in Lyme and tick-borne disease may be used for administration, 13 faculty recruitment and development, start-up costs and costs incurred 14 teaching Lyme and tick-borne disease in research-based programs or 15 patient-based care sites, including, but not limited to, personnel, 16 administration and trainee related expenses and other expenses judged 17 reasonable and necessary by the commissioner. 18 (c) Grants under this subdivision shall be awarded by the commissioner 19 through a competitive application process. In making awards, the commis- 20 sioner shall consider the extent to which the applicant: 21 (i) plans to incorporate emerging Lyme and tick-borne disease research 22 into fellowship training programs, including diagnostic procedures and 23 all medical treatment options, including the benefits and risks of each 24 option; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD08946-01-5 
 S. 4453 2 1 (ii) functions in collaboration with research or patient-based care, 2 or both; 3 (iii) makes complementary efforts to recruit or train qualified facul- 4 ty in Lyme and tick-borne disease education and prevention; and 5 (iv) utilizes available Lyme and tick-borne disease diagnostic and 6 treatment, and support services in the community. 7 2. The commissioner shall designate organizations, upon successful 8 application and performance, as centers for Lyme and tick-borne disease 9 excellence. Such designations shall be pursuant to an application as 10 designed by the department, and based on service, staffing and other 11 criteria as developed by the commissioner. Such centers of excellence 12 shall provide specialized Lyme and tick-borne disease care, treatment, 13 education and related services. Designation as a center for Lyme and 14 tick-borne disease excellence shall not entitle a center to enhanced 15 reimbursement, but may be utilized in outreach and other promotional 16 activities. 17 3. The commissioner may designate Lyme and tick-borne disease resource 18 centers ("resource center"). A resource center may be statewide or 19 regional, and shall act as a source of technical information and guid- 20 ance for practitioners on the latest Lyme and tick-borne disease strate- 21 gies, therapies and medications. The department may contract with not- 22 for-profit organizations or associations to establish and manage 23 resource centers. A resource center may charge a fee to defray the cost 24 of the service. 25 4. The commissioner shall prepare and submit a report to the governor 26 and the legislature, on or before the first of February in the year next 27 succeeding the effective date of this section reporting the results and 28 evaluating the effectiveness of this section. 29 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.