BILL NUMBER: SB 1115 CHAPTERED 10/10/99 CHAPTER 668 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 10, 1999 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 6, 1999 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 8, 1999 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 7, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 3, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 18, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 1, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 29, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 19, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 5, 1999 INTRODUCED BY Senators Chesbro, Solis, and Speier (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alquist, Mazzoni, Strom-Martin, and Wildman) FEBRUARY 26, 1999 An act to add Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 104190) to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 103 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to disease. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1115, Chesbro. Lyme disease: advisory committee and information service. Existing law imposes various functions and duties on the State Department of Health Services with respect to the administration and oversight of various disease and prevention programs. This bill would create the Lyme Disease Advisory Committee in the State Department of Health Services composed of, but not limited to, 5 members from specified groups and appointed by the Director of Health Services. The bill would require the department, among other things, to establish a Lyme disease information program. It would also require the committee to advise and make recommendations to the department regarding certain subjects relating to Lyme disease. The bill would further require the department to provide certain information to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, and would authorize the board to determine which employees should be required to receive the vaccine for Lyme disease as a condition of employment. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Lyme disease is an infectious disease transmitted by the bite of the Western Blacklegged tick (ixodes pacificus), found in at lease 54 of 58 counties in California, and possibly by other arthropods. (b) The disease is caused by a spirochete (borrelia burgdorferi), a spiral-shaped bacterium that may persist in the human body for several years if not treated properly with antibiotics. (c) The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that Lyme disease continues to be a rapidly emerging infectious disease with more than 103,000 cases reported since 1982, a 25-fold increase of reported cases during that period. (d) The CDC estimates that $60,000,000 may be spent annually for treatment of early acute stages of the disease but has not been able to estimate the costs associated with the later stages of the disease. (e) In the initial phase, antibiotics can cure Lyme disease, but if not diagnosed in the early stages, severe permanent physical complications can occur and treatment is more difficult. (f) Some persons affected by the advanced stages of Lyme disease have suffered irreparable damage to their health, careers, and family. Many victims suffer permanent physical damage due to misdiagnoses or ignorance of the disease. (g) The CDC has determined that there are unstandardized diagnostic tests, that control methods are impractical, that knowledge of geographical distribution is incomplete, and the public and medical communities are uninformed. (h) Therefore, the American Lyme Disease Foundation recommends that persons who live in highly epidemic areas or whose employment places them at high risk from Western Blacklegged tick bites, consult with their physicians regarding the use of the vaccine. (i) Therefore, it is the policy of the State of California that people are encouraged to take all necessary steps to protect themselves from tick bites including, but not limited to, the following: (1) Avoiding tick-infested areas. (2) Wearing light-colored long pants and long sleeves when in tick-infested areas. (3) Tucking shirt or blouse into pants and pants into socks. (4) Using tick repellants. (5) Frequently visually inspecting one's body for ticks. SEC. 2. Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 104190) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 103 of the Health and Safety Code, to read: Article 2.5. Lyme Disease Advisory Committee and Information Service 104190. As used in this article the following definitions apply: (a) "Disease" means Lyme disease recognized by the presence of the spirochete (borrelia burgdorferi), a spiral-shaped bacterium, in the human body. (b) "Lyme Disease Support Network" means the groups organized through hospitals and volunteer organizations to counsel and provide support to those individuals who have contracted the disease. 104191. (a) There is hereby created in the state department the Lyme Disease Advisory Committee composed of , but not limited to, the following members: (1) One from the Lyme Disease Resource Center. (2) One from the Lyme Disease Support Network. (3) One from the California Medical Association. (4) One county public health official designated by the State Department of Health Services. (5) One from the department. (b) Members shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the director . (c) Members of the committee shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for travel and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties on the committee. 104192. The Lyme Disease Advisory Committee shall advise and make recommendations to the department regarding subjects including, but not limited to, all of the following: (a) The content and geographic distribution of Lyme disease educational materials. (b) How best to provide information and outreach to the medical community. (c) How best to provide information and outreach to the general public. (d) Populations at risk of contracting Lyme disease. 104193. The department shall do all of the following: (a) Establish a Lyme disease information program that provides educational materials and information services on Lyme disease to the general public and the medical community. The Lyme disease information program shall provide information on all of the following: (1) The disease in general, including its symptoms. (2) Activities that increase one's risk of contracting the disease. (3) The use of vaccines to prevent the disease. (4) The ways to protect oneself from contracting the disease, including the use of protective clothing and tick repellants. (b) Provide detailed information regarding Lyme disease and its treatment to physicians and surgeons in affected areas. (c) Identify those segments of the population that are especially at risk of contracting Lyme disease and may provide workshops, with detailed information on the disease in those areas or communities, if recommended by the Lyme Disease Advisory Committee. (d) Provide information to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board about risk factors for exposure to Lyme disease. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board may determine which employees should be required to receive the vaccine as a condition of employment, in order to reduce the potential liability of employers and protect the health of employees.