WASHINGTON (KFGO) – Minnesota Senator Tina Smith’s bipartisan bill to expand research, testing and treatment for lyme and other tick-borne diseases heads to President Donald Trump’s desk.
The Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act is named in honor of former Democratic North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan. She died in 2019 from complications from the tick-borne Powassan Virus.
“When this bill soon becomes law, it will save lives and help people battling Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases,” Smith said. “We must cut down on tick-borne illnesses for the sake of Americans’ health and well-being.”
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, Lyme Disease remains the state’s most reported tick-borne illness.
More than 3,500 probable cases were reported in 2024.
Comments