BITE Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 4980 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4980 To establish a comprehensive national vector-borne disease prevention system. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES August 15, 2025 Mr. Gottheimer (for himself and Mr. Kean) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To establish a comprehensive national vector-borne disease prevention system. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Battling Infections Transmitted by Ticks and Exposure Act'' or the ``BITE Act''. SEC. 2. COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL VECTOR-BORNE DISEASE PREVENTION SYSTEM. (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish and maintain a comprehensive national vector-borne disease prevention system. (b) Components.--The system described in subsection (a) shall have the following components: (1) A professional vector identification service, which shall-- (A) include relevant information on ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas as vectors of disease; (B) be accessible by civilians and the Department of Defense; and (C) support data reporting that integrates human, animal, and environmental data (commonly known as the ``One Health'' approach). (2) An artificial intelligence-enhanced early warning system, which shall-- (A) predict disease activity with weather, habitat, and wildlife data; and (B) deliver real-time, location-based risk alerts. (3) Insurance claims surveillance to detect outbreaks earlier than traditional methods, which shall include surveillance of claims made with private or public health insurance. (4) Syndromic surveillance, which shall monitor emerge