Public Act 0053 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1754 Enrolled LRB104 05061 BDA 15089 b

Public Act 104-0053

AN ACT concerning health.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title; references to Act.

(a) This Act may be cited as the Tracking Infectious Cases Knowledgeably Act.

(b) This Act may be referred to as the TICK Act.

Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a serious and potentially life-threatening allergic condition that can occur after a tick bite. AGS is named for a molecule, known as alpha-gal or the Galili antigen, that is found in most mammals. Symptoms of AGS occur after people eat red meat or are exposed to other products made from mammals. Because of this, AGS is also known as the red meat allergy or tick bite meat allergy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified AGS as a growing threat to clinical and public health and has identified state-level surveillance of AGS as a critical need. The CDC has identified Illinois as a state with one of the highest AGS prevalence rates in the nation.

Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Alpha-gal syndrome" or "AGS" means an acquired delayed-type allergic reaction to a sugar molecule called alpha-galactose (alpha-gal), which is typically caused by the bite of an infected lone star tick and can cause serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reactions to consuming meat or other products containing alpha-gal.

"Diagnosis" means identification as having Lyme disease or alpha-gal syndrome, either clinically or with laboratory testing confirmation, by (1) a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, (2) a person otherwise permitted to diagnose Lyme disease or alpha-gal syndrome by applicable laws, or (3) another appropriately licensed person under the supervision of or in collaboration with a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches.

Section 15. Alpha-gal syndrome education. The Department of Public Health shall provide educational materials regarding alpha-gal syndrome data on its website where applicable. The Department of Public Health shall undertake an awareness and education campaign for community members, local health departments, and medical providers on the signs and symptoms of alpha-gal syndrome, including education on proper procedures by which to order a test for diagnosis of alpha-gal syndrome.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.