An Act To Enhance Awareness Of Laboratory Testing Of Ticks For Lyme Disease

This bill allocates $250,000 for each of the fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25 to support the operational costs of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Laboratory. The funds are designated for research, education, and outreach related to arthropod management and Lyme disease testing. In exchange for this funding, the laboratory must submit a report on how the money is used to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry by February 1, 2024. The committee retains the option to introduce additional legislation based on the findings in that report.