H.R. 4348: To reauthorize the Kay Hagan Tick Act, and for other purposes.
Sponsor
Christopher Smith
Republican · NJ-4
Tick disease response shouldn't expire after 2025
Why it matters
5 more years — that's what H.R. 4348 gives federal tick- and mosquito-borne disease programs, extending them through 2030 instead of letting current authority run out after 2025. The bill also changes who federal officials must consult and makes regional centers more responsible for real-world disease response.
H.R. 4348 keeps the federal government's current tick- and vector-borne disease response from expiring after 2025 by extending it through 2030.
This is mostly a continuity bill, not a brand-new program. It keeps the national strategy, regional centers of excellence, and enhanced support for state and local health departments in place for another five years.
The bill also makes one quiet governance change: federal officials would no longer be required to specifically consult the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group when developing the national strategy. Instead, the bill says they should consult "appropriate individuals," giving the department more discretion over who is at the table.
Regional disease centers would also be pushed to do more than research — H.R. 4348 explicitly says they should build capacity to identify, report, prevent, and respond to vector-borne diseases.
That means the bill treats these centers as part of the practical public health response, not just as academic hubs. For you, the bottom line is straightforward: the existing federal framework stays alive through 2030, with slightly looser consultation rules and a clearer response mission.
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Jul 21, 2026
Passed the House, received in Senate
H.R. 4348 Bill Summary
What H.R. 4348 actually does.
Federal vector-borne disease programs continue through 2030
H.R. 4348 extends the current authorization window for the national strategy and regional centers from 2021-2025 to 2026-2030, preventing those authorities from ending after 2025.
State and local health departments keep federal support
The bill also extends enhanced federal support for state and local health departments through 2030 so existing vector-borne disease work can continue beyond the current deadline.
Regional centers get a more hands-on public health role
Regional centers of excellence would be expected to build capacity to identify, report, prevent, and respond to vector-borne diseases, making their operational role more explicit.
Health officials get more flexibility on who they consult
Instead of specifically naming the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group, the bill says federal officials should consult appropriate individuals when shaping the national strategy.
The bill extends existing programs instead of creating new ones
H.R. 4348 does not launch a separate federal initiative. It keeps the current public health structure in place and updates a few responsibilities inside it.
Who benefits from H.R. 4348?
State and local health departments facing tick and mosquito threats
They keep access to the enhanced federal support authorized under current law for another 5 years, through 2030, which helps with surveillance, planning, and response.
Regional centers of excellence working on vector-borne disease
These centers stay authorized through 2030 and get a clearer mission that includes helping systems identify, report, prevent, and respond to outbreaks.
Communities where vector-borne disease is a recurring risk
People in affected areas benefit if federal coordination and local health department support do not lapse after 2025, especially where disease tracking and response capacity are thin.
Who is affected by H.R. 4348?
Federal health officials writing the national strategy
They would keep the strategy in place through 2030 but with more discretion over who they consult, because H.R. 4348 removes the specific reference to the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group.
The Tick-Borne Disease Working Group
The group is affected directly because H.R. 4348 removes its specifically named role in the consultation language, even though the broader strategy continues.
Regional centers and their partner institutions
Their responsibilities become more explicit. The bill expects them to support real-world identification, reporting, prevention, and response capacity, not only research.
State and local public health systems planning past 2025
Their disease-response planning changes because the federal support structure they rely on would continue through 2030 instead of ending after the current authorization window.
What Congress Is Saying
H.R. 4348 has come up 30 times in the Congressional Record so far.
H.R. 4348 also appeared in 1 more House floor reference and 25 routine cosponsor filings.
HR4348 Legislative Journey
Sent to Senate
Jul 21, 2026
Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 463.
House: Vote Held
Jul 20, 2026
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4640)
House: Committee Action
Jul 2, 2026
Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-725.
House: Vote: 48-0
May 21, 2026
Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 48 - 0.
House: Vote Held
May 13, 2026
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
House: Committee Action
Jul 10, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
About the Sponsor
Christopher Smith
Republican, New Jersey's 4th congressional district · 45 years in Congress
Committees: Foreign Affairs
View full profile →
Cosponsors (36)
This bill has 36 cosponsors: 28 Democrats, 8 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 19 states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, and 16 more.
Lloyd Doggett
Democrat · TX
Thomas Kean
Republican · NJ
Paul Tonko
Democrat · NY
Brian Fitzpatrick
Republican · PA
James Moylan
Republican · GU
Josh Gottheimer
Democrat · NJ
Donald Davis
Democrat · NC
Gwen Moore
Democrat · WI
Nikki Budzinski
Democrat · IL
Emilia Sykes
Democrat · OH
Sarah McBride
Democrat · DE
Josh Riley
Democrat · NY
Committee Sponsors
Energy and Commerce Committee
4 of 54 committee members cosponsored
28 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 4348 change?
1 changes
Sections Amended
Section 2822(c) of Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-32(c))
striking ``2021 through 2025'' and inserting ``2026 through 2030''
H.R. 4348 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Energy and Commerce
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Health
- Introduced
- Jul 10, 2025
Passed the House, received in Senate
Jul 21, 2026
Official Sources
Official legislative status page for H.R. 4348, including actions, text, and summaries.
CDC's main federal resource on tickborne diseases, directly relevant to the bill's reauthorization of vector-borne disease response efforts.
Official HHS page for the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group referenced in the bill's consultation language.
U.S. Code section for the national strategy and regional centers of excellence in vector-borne disease that H.R. 4348 amends.
U.S. Code section covering enhanced support for health departments in addressing vector-borne diseases, which the bill extends through 2030.
Official Congress.gov page for the law that established the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group referenced in H.R. 4348.
H.R. 4348 Common Questions
What does H.R. 4348 actually do?
It extends key federal tick- and vector-borne disease programs for 5 more years, through 2030, and makes two policy changes: broader consultation rules and a clearer response role for regional centers.
Does H.R. 4348 create a new federal tick disease program?
No. H.R. 4348 extends existing programs instead of creating a new one. The main effect is keeping the current federal framework in place through 2030.
How long does H.R. 4348 extend these programs?
For 5 years. The bill moves the current authorization window from 2021-2025 to 2026-2030.
Does H.R. 4348 keep support for state and local health departments?
Yes. H.R. 4348 continues enhanced federal support for state and local health departments through 2030 so vector-borne disease work does not lose authorization after 2025.
What changes for regional centers of excellence under H.R. 4348?
They would still continue through 2030, but the bill also says they should build capacity to identify, report, prevent, and respond to vector-borne diseases.
Does H.R. 4348 remove the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group?
Not entirely. The group still exists under current law, but H.R. 4348 removes the requirement that it be specifically named in consultations on the national strategy.
Who would federal officials consult instead?
The bill says they should consult "appropriate individuals." That gives health officials more flexibility than the current rule, which specifically names the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group.
Where is H.R. 4348 now?
According to the latest action provided, H.R. 4348 has passed the House and was received in the Senate, where it was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar.
Based on H.R. 4348 bill text
H.R. 4348 Bill Text
“To reauthorize the Kay Hagan Tick Act, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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