2019 has resulted in more Lyme disease legislation thanks to continued efforts by a local state lawmaker and Mercer County woman. State Representative Dan Swanson gives plenty of credit to Jennifer Russell, who serves as the director of the Illinois Lyme Association and Spotlight on Lyme QCA.
The bill was signed last August. In 2018 Swanson’s efforts lead to the passage of the “Lauryn Russell Lyme Disease Bill”, which allows physicians to prescribe more aggressive treatment for Lyme Disease without the fear of disciplinary action. The bill is named after Mercer County 8th grader Lauryn Russell.