The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) to fund federal research on chronic wasting disease, a neurological disease afflicting deer, elk, and moose populations.
Currently, there is no known cure for the disease and it is unclear how it is transmitted, according to Rep. Thompson’s office, which noted that as of December, the disease has been confirmed in 27 states and serious concerns exist that it will continue to spread to herds across the country.
“There is certainly an 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,” the congressman said.
The House on Dec. 8 voted 393-33 to approve the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act, H.R. 5608, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI). The U.S. Senate received the bill for consideration on Dec. 9 and referred it to the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee.
“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,” said Rep. Thompson following the vote.
If enacted, H.R. 5608 would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a program to research and manage the disease; to develop and maintain materials to inform the public on chronic wasting disease and techniques to help prevent its spread; and must solicit public feedback on potential updates and improvements to standards of the chronic wasting disease herd certification program, according to the congressional record bill summary.
Specifically, USDA must offer to enter into agreements with state or tribal wildlife agencies and departments of agriculture, institutions of higher education, and research centers to support research on the transmission of, resistance to, and diagnosis of the disease under the research program. USDA also must offer to enter into agreements with such agencies and departments to support state and tribal efforts to develop and implement management strategies that address the disease, the summary says.
House passage of H.R. 5608 received support from the National Wildlife Federation, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the Boone and Crockett Club, the National Deer Association, the North American Deer Farmers Association, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.