February 11, 2026
Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Doggett) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to fund prize competitions to accelerate innovation in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the LymeX Authorization Act
.
Sec. 2. Policy
It is the policy of the United States to—
(1)
engage stakeholders, including academia, nonprofits, industry, small business, entrepreneurs, and government to facilitate patient-centered innovations in Lyme disease care;
(2)
foster breakthroughs in health education and public awareness initiatives focused on Lyme disease patients; and
(3)
accelerate development of next-gen diagnostics that are rapid and patient focused.
Sec. 3. Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services $5,000,000 to carry out prize competitions (as defined in section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719)) to accelerate innovation in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease.