The Federal Government plans to spend $91M in 2021 vs. $55M in 2020, a 65% increase in spending on Lyme disease.
Congratulations to Lyme advocates in the U.S. who played a key role in getting historic increases for Lyme disease funding passed by the House and Senate this year for 2021. The full year 2021 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which includes $36M in additional Lyme and tickborne funding, or $91M in total funding, went on to the President for his consideration and signature. According to the Center for Lyme Action, here’s what happened: +$10M ($63M total) a NEW Lyme Disease line item at NIAID. The NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases requested an increase from $34M in FY20 to $53M in FY21. While the NIAID budget is almost entirely discretionary, the Senate proposed, and the House approved a $10M mandatory increase on the FY21 budget for Lyme disease making the total $63M. This increase is very helpful to our cause because it sets the precedent for an annual line increase that we can work with each year. +$5M in NEW funding for the Kay Hagan Tick Act. The Kay Hagan Tick Act required the CDC to enhance surveillance (expected to be very poor due to Covid-19 distractions at the state level) and to fund the Centers of Excellence for Lyme and tickborne disease. The budget was added to the Vector-borne disease line item. While the Kay Hagan Tick Act recommended larger annual funding ($30M per year over 5 years), this initial $5M represents another line item that we will work to grow. The good news is that the House-Senate negotiators asked that CDC include a FY22 spend plan for the Kay Hagan Tick Act in their Congressional Budget justification to accompany the President’s FY 22 Budget Request. This should help create some stability and predictability for the Tick Act. +$2M ($16M total) in the Lyme disease budget for the CDC. An additional $2M was added to the CDC Lyme budget which will be used for Lyme prevention programs. TBDRP funding held steady at $7M. While the CDMRP funding for the Tick Borne Disease Research Program did not increase, this important research program with Lyme Community input didn't decrease. In total – the Government plans to spend $91M in FY21 vs. $55M in FY20, a 65% increase in spending on Lyme Disease. This number is a historic increase in funding for Lyme disease! Thanks to all of your support and very important participation. The meetings, the letters, the emails and more! SAVE THE DATE. Now mark your calendar for February 23 from 3-5pm ET and February 24 from 9 am – 5pm ET for the Center For Lyme Action's 2021 Lyme Fly-In. Work will now begin on the budget for 2022. In case you want to read the bills, here you go: Labor HHS — Page 22 and Page 50 https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20201221/BILLS-116RCP68-JES-DIVISION-H.pdf Defense — search for “Peer-reviewed tickborne disease research” https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20201221/BILLS-116RCP68-JES-DIVISION-C.pdf
