HB 2710

                                                 PRINTER'S NO.   3787
              THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                   HOUSE BILL
                   No. 2710
                                         Session of
                                           2026
INTRODUCED BY WALLEN, McNEILL, MOUL, SMITH, KUZMA AND KAUFFMAN,
   JULY 21, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JULY 22, 2026
                              AN ACT
1 Providing for mandatory reporting of babesiosis; requiring
2    continuing education regarding tick-borne disease; imposing
3    duties on the Department of Health and licensing boards; and
4    promulgating regulations.
5    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1.   Short title.
8    This act shall be known and may be cited as the Tick-Borne
9 Disease Reporting Act.
10 Section 2.   Legislative findings.
11    The General Assembly finds as follows:
12(1)   The rapid increase of tick-borne disease cases
13    within the last decade, as reported by the Department of
14    Health, poses a serious public health issue in this
15    Commonwealth.
16(2)   The most recent data from the United States Centers
17    for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that babesiosis
18    cases increased significantly between 2011 and 2019,
19    particularly in northeastern states. According to 2023
1    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, babesiosis
2    is a reportable condition in 40 states, but not in this
3    Commonwealth.
4(3)     The early clinical diagnosis and treatment of tick-
5    borne illnesses can greatly reduce the risks of continued and
6    chronic symptoms that can impair a patient's life.
7(4)     Health care practitioners continuing medical
8    education relating to the diagnosis and treatment of tick-
9    borne diseases is crucial to properly diagnose and treat
10    patients.
11 Section 3.   Definitions.
12    The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14 context clearly indicates otherwise:
15    "Babesiosis."    A tick-transmissible disease whereby a
16 parasite infects red blood cells, primarily, but not always,
17 caused by babesia microti. The term includes an infection that
18 meets the surveillance criteria established by the United States
19 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
20    "Clinical laboratory."    A place, establishment or institution
21 organized and operated primarily for the performance of all or
22 any bacteriological, biochemical, microscopical, serological or
23 parasitological tests by the practical application of one or
24 more of the fundamental sciences to material originating from
25 the human body by the use of specialized apparatus, equipment
26 and methods for the purpose of obtaining scientific data that
27 may be used as an aid to ascertain the state of health.
28    "Department."    The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
29    "Electronic disease surveillance system."    An electronic or
30 web-based platform used by the department to collect and manage
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1 information relating to reportable diseases, infections and
2 conditions under the act of April 23, 1956 (1955 P.L.1510,
3 No.500), known as the Disease Prevention and Control Law of
4 1955, and regulations promulgated under the act. The term
5 includes an electronic laboratory reporting system.
6    "Electronic laboratory reporting system."      The electronic
7 platform that the department uses to receive and process
8 information electronically generated by clinical laboratories
9 and to route the information to the department's electronic
10 disease surveillance system when appropriate.
11    "Health care facility."
12(1)   A health care facility includes:
13(i)    A general, chronic disease or other type of
14hospital.
15(ii)    A home health care agency.
16(iii)    A home care agency.
17(iv)    A hospice.
18(v)    A long-term care nursing facility.
19(vi)    A cancer treatment center that uses radiation
20therapy on an ambulatory basis.
21(vii)    An ambulatory surgical facility.
22(viii)    A birth center regardless of whether the
23birth center is operated for profit, nonprofit or by an
24agency of the Commonwealth or local government.
25(2)   The term shall not include:
26(i)    An office used primarily for the private
27practice of a health care practitioner.
28(ii)    A program which renders treatment or care for
29drug or alcohol abuse or dependence unless located within
30a health facility.
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1(iii)    A facility providing treatment solely on the
2basis of prayer or spiritual means.
3(iv)    A facility conducted by a religious
4organization for the purpose of providing a health care
5service exclusively to clergymen or other person in a
6religious profession who are members of a religious
7denomination.
8    "Health care practitioner."      An individual who is authorized
9 to practice some component of the healing arts by a license,
10 permit, certificate or registration issued by a licensing agency
11 or board of this Commonwealth.
12    "Licensing board."     A licensing board under the Bureau of
13 Professional and Occupational Affairs in the Department of State
14 with jurisdiction over professional licensees or certificate
15 holders who are health care practitioners.
16    "Tick-borne disease."     A disease transmitted by a tick with
17 signs or symptoms consistent with infection with Lyme disease,
18 babesiosis, bartonella, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, hard tick
19 relapsing fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, rickettsiosis,
20 Powassan or other tick-transmissible illness or complications
21 related to an infection from a tick.
22 Section 4.   Reporting of babesiosis.
23    (a)   Health care practitioner or facility.--After being
24 identified by symptoms, appearance or diagnosis, a health care
25 practitioner or health care facility that treats or examines a
26 case of babesiosis shall report the case through the electronic
27 disease surveillance system.
28    (b)   Clinical laboratories.--A person in charge of a clinical
29 laboratory shall report a positive specimen test of babesiosis
30 through the electronic laboratory reporting system.
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1    (c)    Timing of reporting.--Reports shall be made no later
2 than five work days to the electronic disease surveillance
3 system.
4    (d)    Notification.--The department shall publicly notify
5 health care practitioners, health care facilities and clinical
6 laboratories of this act and temporarily provide a reporting
7 timeline until regulations are promulgated under this act.
8    (e)    Penalties.--
9(1)   If a health care practitioner fails to file a report
10    under this section, the department may refer the matter to
11    the appropriate licensure board for disciplinary action.
12(2)   If a health care facility licensed by the department
13    fails to file a report under this section, the department may
14    place restrictions on or revoke the health care facility's
15    license, as provided for in the act of July 19, 1979
16    (P.L.130, No.48), known as the Health Care Facilities Act.
17(3)   If a clinical laboratory fails to file a report
18    under this section, the department may place restrictions on
19    or revoke the laboratory's permit to operate as a clinical
20    laboratory, as provided for in the act of September 26, 1951
21    (P.L.1539, No.389), known as The Clinical Laboratory Act. If
22    the failure to report is due to circumstances beyond the
23    control of the clinical laboratory, the department may not
24    impose a penalty.
25 Section 5.      Continuing education requirement in tick-borne
26disease.
27    (a)    Licensing boards.--A licensing board shall require a
28 health care practitioner applying for a renewal of a license or
29 certification to complete at least one hour of continuing
30 medical education approved by the licensing board in the
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1 diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases as part of, but
2 not in addition to, hours required for license renewal.
3    (b)   Consultation with department.--A licensing board shall,
4 in consultation with the department, approve the curricula for
5 continuing education relating to the diagnosis and treatment of
6 tick-borne diseases.
7    (c)   Content.--The courses shall represent an appropriate
8 spectrum of the most current, evidence-based research relating
9 to medical clinical diagnosis and treatment relating to tick-
10 borne disease in this Commonwealth.
11 Section 6.   Regulations.
12    (a)   Department.--The department shall adopt rules and
13 promulgate and enforce regulations consistent with this act.
14    (b)   Licensing boards.--No later than 24 months after the
15 effective date of this subsection, a licensing board shall
16 promulgate final regulations necessary to implement this act.
17 Section 7.   Effective date.
18    This act shall take effect immediately.
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