New York Senate approves bill to teach about Lyme Disease

ALBANY, New York -- New York schoolchildren would learn about Lyme disease under a bill before Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Dutchess County Senator Sue Serino says legislation she sponsored would require state health, education and environmental officials to collaborate on developing age-appropriate materials to teach students how to prevent the tick-borne disease.

The Senate and Assembly passed the bill last week.

Serino says the legislation is needed because children are vulnerable to contracting Lyme and other tick-borne diseases but may not know how to identify a tick or what to do if they find one.