Tick Identification Pilot Program Act of 2025
Tick Identification Pilot Program Act of 2025 would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the CDC Director, to award grants to States to implement a tick identification pilot program. The program aims to improve tick identification, risk assessment, and prevention guidance by allowing the public to submit photos of ticks encountered and receiving rapid expert feedback. Grants prioritize states with higher reported Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses and those with strong implementation plans. The program would require electronic photo submissions along with geographic location, date, and context of the encounter, followed by a qualified professional’s 72-hour response that includes tick species and life stage when possible, disease risk estimates, actionable guidance, and education on prevention. States would maintain a database of tick incidents and disseminated best practices. Data collected annually would be summarized in Congress reports through 2029.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a tick identification pilot program funded by grants to States, run by the Secretary of Health and Human Services via the CDC Director.
- 2Grants give priority to States with higher Lyme/tick-borne disease burden and those proposing effective implementation and maintenance plans.
- 3Program requirements include: electronic submission of tick photos, plus likely location, date, and context (e.g., on a pet, on a person, or loose).
- 4Qualified professionals (biologists with a vector biology background) would review submissions and respond within 72 hours with tick identification, potential disease risk, prevention/next steps, and educational guidance.
- 5States must maintain a tick incident database with encounter details, tick identification results, and disseminated best practices; the Secretary will collect data and report to Congress annually from 2026 through 2029.