Kay Hagan Tick Act renewed through 2030: what the new law does
A bipartisan law signed on September 30, 2026 keeps federal vector-borne disease research centers and state health department grants authorized for five more years. Here is what it changes, and what it does not.
What happened
On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, the President signed S. 2398, the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act, into law, according to the White House. The law reauthorizes federal work on vector-borne diseases, including Lyme and other tickborne diseases, through fiscal year 2030.
The bill was led in the Senate by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.). According to Sen. Collins’s office, the Senate passed it unanimously in August and the House passed it unanimously in September. The original Kay Hagan Tick Act became law in 2019. Its authorization ran out at the end of fiscal year 2025.
The law is named for former Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina. Sen. Smith’s office says she died in October 2019 from complications of Powassan virus, an infection spread by ticks.
- A national strategy. HHS must keep carrying out and updating its national public health strategy to prevent and control vector-borne diseases, according to the sponsors.
- Regional research centers. The CDC’s Regional Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases stay authorized through 2030. Sen. Collins’s office lists four: UMass Amherst, UC Davis, the University of Florida and the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
- Grants to health departments. CDC grants help state and local health departments track ticks and cases, support early detection and diagnosis, and raise public awareness. The sponsors say the number of health departments reporting tick surveillance data grew from 6 to 44 since 2019.
The law’s text itself only moves the covered years from 2021–2025 to 2026–2030 and makes small wording changes. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), looking at the version approved by the Senate health committee, estimated it would authorize $30 million a year: $10 million for the regional centers and $20 million for state programs, or $150 million over 2026 to 2030.
What it means for you
- Continued local tick data. Surveillance by health departments is how your state learns where ticks and infections are spreading. To learn which ticks live near you, see our tick guide.
- More than Lyme. The programs cover Lyme disease and other tickborne illnesses, such as Powassan virus and babesiosis. The law covers vector-borne diseases broadly, not only Lyme.
- Prevention steps are unchanged. Repellent, protective clothing, daily tick checks and quick tick removal remain the everyday steps. See our Lyme disease prevention guide.
What it does not mean
- It does not guarantee the money. An authorization sets how much Congress may spend. CBO notes the spending is subject to appropriation, so Congress still has to approve the actual funds each year.
- It does not change diagnosis or treatment. The bill text changes only the authorization years and minor wording. It does not address testing or treatment guidance. For current research, see our research tracker.
- It is not a new program. It continues work that started under the 2019 law.
What happens next
Funding levels will be decided in future spending bills. One patient advocacy group, the Center for Lyme Action, says the work is not finished. In a statement published on LymeDisease.org, it called for more federal investment in research, prevention, diagnostics, therapeutics, surveillance and public health infrastructure. Its executive director, Meghan Bradshaw, said in the statement: “Today we celebrate, but tomorrow we get back to work.”
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Kay Hagan?
Kay Hagan was a U.S. senator from North Carolina. She died in October 2019 from complications of Powassan virus, a tickborne infection. The original 2019 law was named for her.
Does the law create a new Lyme treatment research program?
No. It renews existing authorizations: the national strategy, the regional research centers and CDC grants to health departments. The sponsors say these support research, surveillance, diagnosis and treatment efforts. It does not set up a new program, and actual funds depend on future spending bills.
How long does the law last?
Its programs are authorized through fiscal year 2030.
Sources
- The White House: Congressional Bill S. 2398 Signed into Law (September 30, 2026)
- GovInfo: S. 2398, Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act (bill text as passed by the Senate)
- Sen. Susan Collins: House unanimously passes bill to combat Lyme and other tick-borne diseases (September 15, 2026)
- Sen. Tina Smith: Bill to combat Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases heads to President’s desk (September 16, 2026)
- Congressional Budget Office: S. 2398, Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act, cost estimate (January 29, 2026)
- LymeDisease.org / Center for Lyme Action: Tick Act signed into law (October 2, 2026)
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