A4820

An Act concerning instruction on Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases in public schools, amending P.L.1991, c.488, and supplementing chapter 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 1 of P.L.1991, c.488 (C.18A:35-5.1) is amended to read as follows:

1. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, shall develop curriculum guidelines for the teaching of information on the prevention of Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases within the public school health curriculum. The guidelines shall emphasize disease prevention [and sensitivity for persons with the disease] and include topics such as the biology of various tick species, tick habitats, a list of diseases transmitted by ticks, recommended attire and repellants to help protect an individual from ticks, how to perform tick checks, proper techniques for the removal of ticks, and symptoms an individual may experience after receiving a tick bite. The Commissioner of Education shall periodically review and update the guidelines to insure that the curriculum reflects the most current information available.

(cf: P.L.2017, c.131, s.24)

2. Section 2 of P.L.1991, c.488 (C.18A:35-5.2) is amended to read as follows:

2. a. The commissioner shall make the curriculum guidelines available to all school districts in the State [and shall encourage their adoption by those districts which are located in areas of the State which have a high incidence of Lyme Disease].

b. A board of education shall incorporate the curriculum guidelines developed pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1991, c.488 (C.18A:35-5.1) in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in grades kindergarten through 12 as part of the school district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.

c. A board of education shall also consult resources from a nationally-recognized organization with expertise in Lyme Disease or other tick-borne diseases in fulfilling the requirements of subsection b. of this section.

(cf: P.L.1991, c.488, s.2)

3. (New section) a. A board of education shall develop a policy concerning the discovery and removal of ticks on students. The policy shall require the school physician or school nurse to:

(1) remove the tick from the student in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Health pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill);

(2) properly store the tick for no more than seven days;

(3) label the tick with the date of removal and name of the student; and

(4) provide notice to the student’s parent or guardian by telephone, email, or letter to be delivered by the student on the day the tick was removed.

b. Notice provided to a parent or guardian pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall include the following: (1) the student’s name, (2) the date the tick was removed, (3) a statement that the school is holding the tick for up to seven days so that the parent or guardian may collect the tick and send it to be tested for Lyme Disease or other tick-borne diseases, and (4) a list of facilities in the State that perform tick testing. The notice shall further advise the parent or guardian to promptly seek medical treatment if the student presents symptoms such as rash, chills, fever, headache, tiredness, stiff neck, joint pain or swelling, or swollen lymph nodes within three to 30 days of removal.

4. (New section) The Department of Health shall publish on the department’s Internet website guidelines concerning the discovery and removal of ticks on students and a list of facilities in the State that perform tick testing that includes the address, phone number, and website of each facility on the list. The guidelines shall be distributed to each school district in the State consultation with the Department of Education.

5. The Department of Health and the State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.

6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill requires a board of education to incorporate curriculum guidelines concerning Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases as part of the school district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. The guidelines would emphasize disease prevention and include topics such as the biology of various tick species, tick habitats, a list of diseases transmitted by ticks, recommended attire and repellants to help protect an individual from ticks, how to perform tick checks, proper techniques for the removal of ticks, and symptoms an individual may experience after receiving a tick bite. A board of education would also be required to consult resources from a nationally-recognized organization with expertise in Lyme Disease or other tick-borne diseases in fulfilling the requirements of the bill. A board of education would further be required to develop a policy concerning the discovery and removal of ticks on students.

This bill would require the Commissioner of Education to develop curriculum guidelines for both Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases. A board of education would also be required to incorporate the curriculum guidelines developed by the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in grades kindergarten through 12 as part of the school district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. A board of education would further be required to use resources from a nationally-recognized organization with expertise in Lyme Disease or other tick-borne diseases in fulfilling the requirements of the bill.

The bill also requires a board of education to develop a policy concerning the discovery and removal of ticks on students. Specifically, the policy will require the school physician or school nurse to:

· remove the tick from the student in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Health pursuant to the bill;

· properly store the tick for no more than seven days;

· label the tick with the date of removal and name of the student; and

· provide notice to the student’s parent or guardian by telephone, email, or letter to be delivered by the student on the day the tick was removed.

The notice provided to parents and guardians under the bill would include the student’s name, the date the tick was removed, a statement that the school is holding the tick for up to seven days so that the parent or guardian may collect the tick and send it to be tested for Lyme Disease or other tick-borne diseases, and a list of facilities in the State that perform tick testing. The notice will further advise the parent or guardian to promptly seek medical treatment if the student presents symptoms such as rash, chills, fever, headache, tiredness, stiff neck, joint pain or swelling, or swollen lymph nodes within three to 30 days of removal.

The Department of Health will be required to publish on the department’s Internet website guidelines concerning the discovery and removal of ticks on students and a list of facilities in the State that perform tick testing. The department is also required to distribute the guidelines and the list to school districts in consultation with the Department of Education.