From the Center for Lyme Action:

The Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations process has finally been completed. Congress has passed the second consolidated appropriations package and the President signed it into law on Saturday, March 23.

The package includes funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense, the two agencies we requested funding increases.

In a year of over $3 billion in cuts to HHS in the final FY24 Appropriations and no increase (a cut when inflation is factored in) to the HHS NIH National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases that funds Lyme and tick-borne disease research, we are pleased to announce the following increases for Lyme and tick-borne conditions:

     +$5 Million for LymeX Innovation Accelerator
     +$1 Million for Kay Hagan Tick Act
     +$1 M for CDC Lyme and Tick-borne Disease Prevention Programs

The $5M for LymeX is particularly satisfying because it’s been on our list of appropriations requests since the very beginning to fund the federal program management component of this critical program which is focused on developing a reliable diagnostic for Lyme. We are grateful for this support to supplement the generous donation by the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation that funds Lyme diagnostic challenges in the Department of Health and Human Services.  Read more about the Phase II winners.

Thank you to every advocate for your wonderful work since our first Fly-In in February 2020!

Your total impact on the FY21 – FY24 Lyme and tick=borne disease federal funding is an astonishing $405.5M.  NIH  funding for tick-borne diseases in FY24 is expected to be nearly four times the FY21 funding – from $39M in FY21 to $119M in FY24.

Our work is not over, but congratulations to all!

Below is the detailed summary of our ongoing work to increase federal funding for Lyme and tick-borne diseases.  You can also get more details on each appropriations increase by reading further.

Best regards,
Bonnie, Jeff, and Meghan

DIVISION D – DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20D%20LHHS.pdf

Page 21
CDC Lyme

Page 41
NIH NIAID

Page 70
LymeX Innovation Accelerator

DIVISION A – DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20A%20Defense.PDF

Page 109B
Tickborne Disease Research Program

SOURCE: Center for Lyme Action