North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has cosponsored the Ticks: Identify, Control, Knockout (TICK) Act, a bill introduced in the House and Senate that would establish an office of oversight and coordination for tick-borne diseases.

The office would focus on prevention and treatment, expanding research, improving testing, increasing public awareness, and affordability of treatment, a press statement from Rep. Stefanik’s office said.

The TICK Act would also reauthorize funding for Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases for five years at $10 million per year, and authorize CDC grants at $20 million per year that would be awarded to State Health Departments to improve data collection and analysis and support early detection and diagnosis.

“The Northeast is the epicenter of Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illnesses, and the problem is only getting worse,” said Congresswoman Stefanik, R-Schuylerville. “Over the past twenty-five years, the number of cases of Lyme Disease have increased exponentially. This bipartisan legislation will build upon my work on the Tick-Borne Diseases and Accountability Act, as well as the 21st Century Cures Act, to ensure we are doing all we can to increase prevention and treatment efforts, expand research, raise awareness, and prioritize affordability of treatment. Our region is filled with natural beauty, but unfortunately our forests and environment can attract various kinds of ticks and invasive species. I’m proud to cosponsor this critical, life-saving bill with my colleagues in both the House and Senate.”

Stefanik’s office says the TICK Act is supported by more than 25 organizations, including the Entomological Society of America, National Association of Vector-Borne Disease Control Officials, the National Association of County and City Health Officials, the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector Borne Diseases, and the LivLyme Foundation.