Chronic Wasting Disease Bill Passes House

Chronic Wasting Disease Bill Passes House

On December 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the CWD Research and Management Act (H.R. 5608) by a vote of 393-33. The legislation, sponsored by Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and GT Thompson (R-PA), authorizes $70 million in total spending ($35 million each to research and management efforts) and requires 75% of the management funding be directed to state and tribal wildlife agencies.

“The U.S. House of Representatives today recognized just how important it is to better understand the diagnosis, transmission and spread of Chronic Wasting Disease among deer populations, in Pennsylvania and across the country,” Rep. Thompson said in a joint statement with Rep. Kind. “There is certainly urgent need for research and management efforts, and I thank my colleagues who supported this bill along with the many stakeholders who share the common goal of eradicating this disease.”

H.R. 5608 was introduced in October and unanimously passed the House Agriculture Committee shortly after introduction. The bill will authorize funds to states to help manage existing CWD outbreaks and to provide rapid response funding for detections in new populations. In addition, the bill would provide increased funding for research to improve testing and disease containment mechanisms, including the development of live animal or environmental testing and ways to decontaminate infectious prions. Another important provision directs the Secretary of Agriculture to review the Herd Certification Program standards including those that help minimize or eliminate the interaction between wild and captive deer.

December 15, 2021