Bill establishes protocol for removal of ticks from students in Pennsylvania schools

Jan Murphy
·2 min read
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With Pennsylvania among the states leading the nation in the number of Lyme disease cases, a state senator wants to ensure schools have a standard protocol to follow when a tick is found on a student during the school day.

The Senate on Wednesday voted 49-1 to pass a bill, sponsored by Sen. Michele Brooks, R-Mercer County, that would require parental notification about a tick’s removal and require information be provided about the symptoms of the tick-borne disease that is so prevalent in this state. The notification would include the date of the tick removal and a recommendation to seek prompt medical treatment

Moreover, the school would be required to preserve the tick for the student’s parent or guardian to send to East Stroudsburg University’s tick lab for free testing for a variety to tick-borne diseases or the school has the option of sending the tick for testing.

The bill now goes to the House for consideration.

“Testing a tick found on a child can provide critical information to help medical professionals prevent the child from long-term or chronic effects from the diseases ticks can carry,” Brooks said in a statement. She also encourages anyone who has removed a tick to put it in a sealed plastic bag and send it to the tick lab.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that one in every 100 Pennsylvanians gets Lyme disease each year. Approximately one in four cases occur in children with those between five and nine years old being at the greatest risk.

The dissenting vote on this bill came from Sen. John DiSanto, R-Dauphin County. In a statement, he said, “I believe this legislation is well-intentioned, but I oppose new government mandates unless there is a clear and compelling need. In this case, schools and parents can determine on their own how to handle a tick bite, just as they deal with other medical concerns that arise at school.”

The Senate passed a similar bill in the last legislative session that was not taken up in the House.