S. 1657 would require the Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services to develop and implement a national strategy to address vector-borne diseases, including tick-borne diseases. The legislation also would authorize the appropriation of the following amounts for each year between 2021 and 2025:
$10 million for awarding grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to support regional centers of excellence that address vector-borne diseases, and
$20 million for entering into cooperative agreements with states to increase capacity to prevent and respond to vector-borne diseases.
Based on historical spending for similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost $80 million over the 2020-2024 period, assuming appropriation of authorized amounts. The remaining $70 million would be spent after 2024.
The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 550 (health).
