By Bonnie Crater, Center for Lyme Action

We’re now deep into late summer, we wanted to reach out again to thank all of you for your continued support of the important work to increase federal funding for Lyme and tick-borne conditions. Each of you is important and we thank you for your efforts!

Last month Center for Lyme Action reported some nice Fiscal Year 2025 increases from the House Appropriations Committee and this month we are reporting on the work from the Senate Appropriations Committee. Note that all FY25 Appropriations Bills still need full House and Senate votes and we don’t expect that until after the November election.

In good news, last week the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the following increases for Lyme and tick-borne conditions:

• $125M – NIH NIAID Lyme and tick-borne disease research (+$25M)
• $29M – CDC Lyme Disease Funding (+$2M)
• $29M – CDC Kay Hagan Tick Act (+$9.5M)

The Senate Defense Appropriations bill supports the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) for the tick-borne disease research program, but, as is practice, is not specific on the allocations to any disease. Last month the House Appropriations Committee, as is customary, provided specifics on the FY25 CDMRP budget ($7M).

Overall, we are seeing an excellent report from the Senate. See below if you want to read all the details. The next step is for both chambers to vote on the FY25 Labor HHS Appropriations Bills. While the House has passed its Defense appropriations bill, the Senate still needs to act. Once that occurs, the House and Senate will reconcile bill differences in a joint conference.

We will keep you posted!

U.S. Senate
DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATION BILL, 2025
Committee Report

https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy25_lhhs_senate_report7.pdf

p.67

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
EMERGING AND ZOONOTIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES

p.68-69
Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Illnesses.—The Committee provides $29,000,000 to expand the programs authorized under the Kay Hagan Tick Act (Public Law 116–94) to promote a public health approach to combat rising cases of tick-borne diseases. In distributing these funds, the Committee directs CDC to prioritize entities focused on Lyme disease and related tick-borne diseases in the areas of surveillance, control, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and education. The Committee recognizes the growing public health threat of Lyme disease and related tick-borne diseases and directs CDC to provide support in endemic areas as well as areas not yet considered endemic. Given the impact of Lyme disease and the status of ongoing clinical trials, the Committee requests a report within 180 days of enactment on CDC’s research to date and recommendations on actions needed to facilitate a successful Lyme disease vaccine rollout that will build confidence and encourage uptake should a vaccine be approved by the FDA.

p.70
Vector-Borne Diseases [VBDs].—The Committee is concerned about the risk of a vector-borne infectious disease outbreak in the United States and our readiness to quickly respond to and stop its spread. The Committee includes an increase of $2,000,000 for continued implementation of the Kay Hagan Tick Act and to enhance capacity to expand nation-wide surveillance of vector-borne disease. The Committee intends that this additional funding will also support the purposes of the Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health provisions in the All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act (Public Law 116–22).

p.146
Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Illnesses.—The Committee includes not less than $125,000,000, an increase of $25,000,000, for research into Lyme and other Tick-Borne diseases. The Committee urges NIH to develop new tools that can more effectively prevent, diagnose, and treat Lyme disease, including its long-term effects, and other tick-borne diseases. The Committee encourages the promotion and development of potential vaccine candidates for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. The Committee urges NIH to conduct research to better understand modes of transmission for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. The Committee encourages NIH to incentivize new investigators to enter the field of Lyme disease and other tick-borne disease research. The Committee encourages NIH to coordinate with CDC on publishing reports that assess diagnostic advancements, methods for prevention, the state of treatment, and links between tick-borne disease and other illnesses.

p.235
Vector Borne Diseases.—The Committee commends the Department for the 2024 release of the National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector Borne Diseases in People and encourages continued collaboration and innovation to reach targeted public health outcomes for the United States, including the target of reducing the number of Lyme disease cases (laboratory confirmed) 25 percent by 2035.

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U.S. Senate
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2025 
Committee Report

TITLE VI
OTHER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROGRAMS
DEFENSE HEALTH PROGRAM

https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy25_defense_senate_report1.pdf

p.278-79

https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy25_defense_senate_report1.pdf