HB 578 Ohio House · 136th Legislature (2025-2026)

Require tick-related disease reporting to Department of Health

HB 578 requires healthcare providers and laboratories to report diagnosed tick-related diseases and conditions to Ohio's Department of Health. This bill amends Ohio Revised Code Section 3701.23 to establish a mandatory reporting requirement for specific illnesses transmitted by ticks, such as Lyme disease. The key mechanism is creating a standardized process for health officials to collect and track these cases statewide. This policy change directly affects medical facilities that diagnose and treat tick-borne illnesses, aiming to improve public health data collection.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Nov 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Nov 5, 2025 Last action Mar 25, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

As Introduced → As Passed by the House · 3 edits · Mar 18, 2026

MINOR

The bill was amended to broaden disease reporting requirements by replacing specific tick-related diseases with a more flexible framework that includes person-to-person spread, foodborne/waterborne diseases, zoonotic/vector-borne diseases, and director-specified conditions. This change allows the health department to adapt reporting requirements to emerging threats rather than relying solely on a fixed list of tick-borne illnesses.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a specific list of tick-related diseases to a broader, more adaptable framework covering multiple disease transmission categories.

REQUIREMENT

Replaced the specific list of tick-related diseases (Alpha-gal, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Powassan, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia, Southern tick-associated rash illness) with broader categories including person-to-person spread, foodborne/waterborne diseases, zoonotic/vector-borne diseases, and director-specified conditions.

Added new reporting categories for diseases that spread directly or indirectly from person to person and foodborne/waterborne diseases, expanding beyond the original tick-focused scope.

Changed the director's authority from specifying 'other contagious or infectious diseases' to a more structured framework with multiple defined categories plus director discretion.

Floor votes · House Mar 18, 2026

How they voted

93–1

Passed

Total votes 94

Mar 18, 2026

D Democratic29

29 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican65

64 Yea 1 Nay

98% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 25, 2026

Committee

Referred to committee

upper

Mar 19, 2026

Introduced

upper

Mar 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed

lower

Nov 12, 2025

Committee

Referred to committee

lower

Nov 5, 2025

Introduced

lower

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors