Tick bill goes to a vote in County Legislature next week

A proposed law introduced recently by Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk) to aggressively address tick-borne illnesses was unanimously approved by the Legislature’s Public Works and Transportation Committee yesterday.

The bill will go to the full Legislature for a vote next Tuesday at its meeting in Riverhead.

The proposed law would require the Suffolk County Vector Control to submit an annual plan that indicates steps being taken to reduce the incidence of tick-borne illnesses — including work to be done, active measures being taken and an analysis to determine the effectiveness of the program.

The Vector Control has focused mainly on mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile.

“It is important that you voice your concerns about the importance of the legislation directing the county to draw up plans to fight the Lyme Disease epidemic plaguing Suffolk County to the Legislature and speak in support of the new plan,” Legislator Schneiderman said in a statement.