ASSEMBLY HEALTH COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1424

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 9, 2026

      The Assembly Health Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1424.

     This bill creates the “Lyme Screening Act.”

     Under the bill, a health care facility that serves children and is licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.), and any other agency or program that serves children and is designated by the Commissioner of Health to perform well-child visits, is to perform a Lyme disease screening on each child that the facility, agency, or program serves, unless the facility, agency, or program has knowledge that the child has already undergone Lyme screening.  The Department of Health (department), in coordination with appropriate State agencies, is to develop a standardized Lyme screening checklist to be used by licensed health care practitioners who provide pediatric well-child care in this State.  Practitioners are to administer the standardized Lyme screening checklist at the periodic intervals adopted by the department and consistent with recognized pediatric guidelines.  Each health care provider who conducts a well-child visit, or a symptom-related visit for fever, fatigue, rash, joint pain, or headache occurring between April 1 and October 31 of each year, is to administer the standardized Lyme screening checklist to determine if the child has had any known recent tick exposure or is experiencing fatigue, joint pain, fever, rash, or headaches.

     Under this bill, the State Board of Medical Examiners is to require that the number of credits of continuing medical education required of each person licensed as a physician, as a condition of biennial registration pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1971, c.236 (C.45:9-6.1), include one mandatory credit of educational programs or topics concerning Lyme.

     The bill provides that the mandatory credit of educational programs and topics concerning Lyme is to include training modules on preventive measures and available treatments; health risks and complications of pediatric Lyme; best practices for screening, diagnosis, and clinical management of Lyme in children; and effective communication strategies for discussing Lyme prevention, symptoms, and follow-up care with parents and guardians.

     Under this bill, upon completion of the Lyme education modules, physicians are to receive continuing medical education credits which will count toward their required continuing medical education hours for license renewal.  These credits are to count toward the total continuing medical education hours required, which includes a focus on patient safety, medical ethics, and other essential medical topics.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2026-2027 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.