The Legislative Branch Assignment: Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act and the Lawmaking Process

The Legislative Branch Assignment

1. Choose a topic that interests you, from health care to online privacy.
2. Find a bill introduced or a law passed within the current or most recent session of Congress, within the past year, using congress.gov or govtrack.us. Keep the URL and include it in your work.
3. Answer in complete sentences: What is the name of the bill or law? Which part of Congress did it originate from? What is its purpose? What steps of the lawmaking process has it gone through or would it need to go through? Which committee(s) were assigned to study it, and if none, why?
4. Reflect: write a complete paragraph explaining whether you support the bill or law, with at least two reasons.

Original example for study purposes. Topic: health care (tick-borne diseases).

Bill URL: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2398

Name of the Law

The law I researched is S. 2398, the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act, from the 119th Congress. It is named for former U.S. Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina, who died in 2019 from complications of Powassan virus, a rare tick-borne illness (George).

Where It Originated

The bill originated in the Senate. Senator Susan Collins of Maine introduced it on July 23, 2025, with cosponsors including Senators Tina Smith, Angus King, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar and Josh Hawley, making it a bipartisan bill (“S. 2398”).

Purpose of the Law

The purpose of the law is to continue federal efforts to prevent, detect and treat Lyme disease and other vector-borne diseases. It reauthorizes, through fiscal year 2030, the national public health strategy for vector-borne diseases and the Regional Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Disease, which conduct research, surveillance and training. It also reauthorizes Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grants to state and local health departments for surveillance, early detection, treatment and public education (“S. 2398”; George). The original Kay Hagan Tick Act of 2019 had funding that expired, so this reauthorization keeps the programs going.

Steps in the Lawmaking Process

The bill went through every step required to become a law. After it was introduced in the Senate, it was referred to committee, where it was studied and reported. The full Senate passed it unanimously in August 2026. It then went to the House of Representatives, which passed it in mid-September 2026. Because both chambers passed the same version, it was sent to the president, who signed it into law on September 30, 2026 (George; “Congressional Bill S. 2398”).

Committee Assignment

The bill was assigned to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), which oversees public health programs, including those of the CDC. The committee reviewed the bill and reported it to the full Senate (“S. 2398”).

Reflection

I support the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act for two main reasons. First, tick-borne diseases are a growing public health problem. In Minnesota alone, there were 3,551 probable Lyme disease cases in 2024, along with hundreds of cases of other tick-borne illnesses (George). Continued funding for surveillance and research helps doctors diagnose these diseases earlier and helps communities know when the risk is high. Second, the law supports state and local health departments, which are often the first to identify outbreaks and educate the public, especially in rural areas where people spend time outdoors. I also appreciate that the bill passed with bipartisan support, showing that lawmakers from both parties can work together on practical health issues. One concern is that reauthorization does not guarantee funding, so Congress will still need to appropriate enough money for these programs to be effective.

Works Cited

“Congressional Bill S. 2398 Signed into Law.” The White House, 30 Sept. 2026, www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2026/09/congressional-bill-s-2398-signed-into-law/.

George, Erick. “Bill to Expand Tick-Borne Disease Research, Treatment Signed into Law.” Valley News Live, 30 Sept. 2026, www.valleynewslive.com/2026/09/30/sen-smiths-lyme-disease-bill-signed-into-law/.

“S. 2398—Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act.” Congress.gov, Library of Congress, 2025, www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2398.