Rep. Dan Swanson

Filed: 4/15/2024

 

 


 

 


 
10300HB4274ham002LRB103 35300 RJT 72327 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4274

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4274 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Department of Public Health Powers and
5Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
6amended by adding Section 2310-666 as follows:
 
7    (20 ILCS 2310/2310-666 new)
8    Sec. 2310-666. Tick removal guidelines and form.
9    (a) The Department shall do all of the following no later
10than July 1, 2025:
11        (1) Issue guidelines on how to remove and safely store
12    a tick.
13        (2) Publish the guidelines issued under paragraph (1)
14    and the model form issued under paragraph (4) on the
15    Department's website.
16        (3) Provide public testing lab information to schools.

 

 

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1    The lab must have the capability to provide test results
2    to the parents or guardians of students.
3        (4) Issue a model form as provided in subsection (b)
4    that schools shall send to the parents or guardians of
5    students who have been identified as having been bitten by
6    a tick.
7        (5) Make available to schools, upon request and free
8    of charge, tick removal kits consisting of tweezers,
9    bandages, a sealable plastic bag, an alcohol wipe,
10    repellent wipes, an information card, and a tick
11    identification card.
12    (b) The initial form issued by the Department under
13paragraph (4) of subsection (a) shall be in substantially the
14following form and may be updated by the Department based on
15recommendations from the Lyme Disease Task Force as necessary:
16        "This letter is to inform you that a tick was found and
17    removed from (student's name) (location on body) on
18    (date).
19        Due to the high incidences of tick-borne diseases
20    discovered in Illinois through tick surveillance, the
21    school will, at your request as the parent or guardian,
22    preserve the tick for up to 3 school days so that you may
23    send the tick to a lab for testing. At your request, a
24    handout will be given to you providing information on how
25    you may submit the tick to a lab for testing. However, you
26    may give the school permission to dispose of the tick

 

 

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1    before the 3 school-day period has expired. After 3 school
2    days, the school may dispose of the tick.
3        Ticks found in Illinois and other nearby states carry
4    germs that can transmit disease and make people sick. When
5    ticks bite and attach, the likelihood of exposure to Lyme
6    disease increases with the length of time the tick is
7    attached. Symptoms of Lyme disease include a bullseye rash
8    or atypical rash, chills, fever, headache, tiredness,
9    stiff neck, joint pain or swelling, and swollen lymph
10    nodes. A bullseye rash occurs only in 70% to 80% of
11    infected persons.
12        The most common illnesses caused by ticks that bite
13    and attach for less than 24 hours include spotted fever
14    group rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis.
15    Symptoms of these illnesses may be similar to Lyme disease
16    but may also include spotted rash, nausea, vomiting,
17    diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
18        It is recommended that you call your child's health
19    care provider if you notice any signs or symptoms of
20    illness, such as a skin rash, fever, or flu-like symptoms
21    for up to one month following the tick bite. Most
22    tickborne diseases can be treated with antibiotics if
23    recognized and diagnosed promptly.
24        For more information about ticks and how to prevent
25    bites visit: (the Department of Public Health's website on
26    tickborne illnesses). If you have any questions regarding

 

 

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1    your child's health, call your child's health care
2    provider.
3        Sincerely,
4        (Signature)
5        (Title)"
 
6    Section 10. The School Code is amended by adding Sections
710-20.87 and 34-18.87 as follows:
 
8    (105 ILCS 5/10-20.87 new)
9    Sec. 10-20.87. Tick removal.
10    (a) Before the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year,
11each school board shall establish procedures on tick removal
12consistent with guidelines developed by the Department of
13Public Health under Section 2310-666 of the Department of
14Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil
15Administrative Code of Illinois.
16    (b) If a tick is removed at a school, the school shall, at
17the request of a parent or guardian, preserve the tick for up
18to 3 school days so that the parent or guardian may send the
19tick to a lab for testing and shall, at the request of a parent
20or guardian, provide information to the parent or guardian on
21how to send the tick to a lab for testing. However, the parent
22or guardian may give the school permission to dispose of the
23tick before the 3 school-day period has expired.
24    (c) A school district and its employees and agents may not

 

 

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1be held liable, except for willful or wanton conduct, as a
2result of any injury arising from the removal of a tick if the
3removal of the tick was conducted following the guidelines
4issued by the Department of Public Health under Section
52310-666 of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties
6Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.
 
7    (105 ILCS 5/34-18.87 new)
8    Sec. 34-18.87. Tick removal.
9    (a) Before the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, the
10board shall establish procedures on tick removal consistent
11with guidelines developed by the Department of Public Health
12under Section 2310-666 of the Department of Public Health
13Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of
14Illinois.
15    (b) If a tick is removed at a school, the school shall, at
16the request of a parent or guardian, preserve the tick for up
17to 3 school days so that the parent or guardian may send the
18tick to a lab for testing and shall, at the request of a parent
19or guardian, provide information to the parent or guardian on
20how to send the tick to a lab for testing. However, the parent
21or guardian may give the school permission to dispose of the
22tick before the 3 school-day period has expired.
23    (c) The school district and its employees and agents may
24not be held liable, except for willful or wanton conduct, as a
25result of any injury arising from the removal of a tick if the

 

 

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1removal of the tick was conducted following the guidelines
2issued by the Department of Public Health under Section
32310-666 of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties
4Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.".