H.R. 4979 — Tick Identification Pilot Program Act of 2025

This section authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to award grants to states to implement tick identification programs, prioritizing states with more reported Lyme disease and other tick-borne disease cases that submit effective implementation plans. Funded programs must (1) accept electronic photo submissions of ticks with geographic location, encounter date, and physical location (e.g., on a pet, human, or loose); (2) provide responses within 72 hours from a qualified professional (i.e., a biologist with vector biology background), including tick species/life stage identification (if possible), disease risk estimate (if possible), medical evaluation/testing recommendations, and tick avoidance education; and (3) maintain a database of incidents with encounter details, tick identifications, and disseminated best practices. The Secretary must collect annual data from grantees on reported incidents—including numbers, dates, locations, environments, tick identifications, and best practices provided—and submit reports to Congress within 90 days after the start of each fiscal year from FY2026 through FY2029.