Sec. 3. Regional Centers of Excellence in Tick and Vector-Borne Diseases
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The Secretary, in coordination with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the heads of other agencies as appropriate, shall award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities (such as institutions of higher education, State, tribal, and local health departments, associations, or other appropriate entities) for the establishment or support of Regional Centers of Excellence in Tick and Vector-Borne Diseases. Such Regional Centers shall be designed to address Lyme disease and other tick and vector-borne diseases by— building collaboration between academia and public health agencies for surveillance, prevention and response to Lyme disease and other tick and vector-borne diseases; providing training for public health entomologists to deal with Lyme disease and other tick and vector-borne diseases; and conducting applied research to develop and validate prevention and control tools and methods, and to anticipate and respond to outbreaks of Lyme disease and other tick and vector-borne diseases.
To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section, an entity shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such agreements and information as the Secretary may require, including a description of how the entity will— coordinate, as applicable, with existing Federal, State, and tribal programs related to Lyme disease and other vector-borne diseases; examine, evaluate, and promote evidence-based interventions for individuals with Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-borne diseases, including those in rural and underserved populations, and those who provide care for such individuals; and prioritize activities relating to— expanding efforts, as appropriate, to implement evidence-based practices to address Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-borne diseases, including through the training of State, local, and tribal public health officials and other health professionals on such practices; supporting surveillance of vectors, and early detection and diagnosis of Lyme and other tick- and vector-borne diseases, including improving the quality and reliability of diagnostic tools at all stages of disease progression, and developing a Lyme disease test capable of distinguishing between past and active infections; improving the safety and efficacy of any new, renewed, or modified human vaccine for Lyme disease, other tick- and vector-borne diseases, or a combination of such diseases; developing a standardized screening protocol for Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-borne diseases; enhancing studies and activities on tick biology, disease ecology, and surveillance, and tick management; and supporting other relevant activities identified by the Secretary or the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as appropriate.
In awarding grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements under this section, the Secretary shall consider, among other factors, whether the entity— provides services to rural areas or other underserved populations; is able to build on an existing infrastructure of services and public health research; is located in an area with a high prevalence, or in any area predicted to have a high prevalence, of Lyme disease or other tick- and vector-borne diseases; and has experience with conducting research related to Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-borne diseases.
For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years from 2021 through 2026. Amounts appropriated shall be allocated under this section to diseases in a manner that proportionately matches the disease burden of those diseases in the United States, which shall be reassessed and adjusted annually.