What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to hire a college or university to review the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program. The review will examine how well the program works and what burden it places on cattle producers. After the review is complete, the Secretary must report findings and improvement recommendations to Congress.
Who It Affects
The Secretary of Agriculture, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (the federal agency that runs the program), the Texas Animal Health Commission, cattle producers, and Congress.
Key Provisions
• The Secretary of Agriculture must offer a contract to a covered institution (a land-grant college or university or a non-land-grant college of agriculture) to conduct a review of the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program within 1 year of the bill becoming law. (Sec. 2(a)(1))
• The review must evaluate how effectively the program prevents and reduces the spread of tick-borne illnesses (diseases spread by ticks) in cattle. (Sec. 2(a)(2)(A))
• The review must examine the benefits of the program for cattle producers and the difficulty cattle producers face in following program rules. (Sec. 2(a)(2)(B))
• The review must analyze treatment protocols (step-by-step procedures) developed and used under the program. (Sec. 2(a)(2)(C))
• The Secretary must submit a report to the House Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry within 1 year of signing the contract, including recommendations to reduce the burden on cattle producers. (Sec. 2(b))
What Changes
An independent review of the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program will be conducted. Congress will receive a report with findings and recommendations for improvements to the program.
Important Definitions
Covered Institution: A land-grant college or university or a non-land-grant college of agriculture. (Sec. 2(c)(1))
Land-Grant College or University: An institution defined in section 1404 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977. (Sec. 2(c)(2))
Non-Land-Grant College of Agriculture: A college of agriculture as defined in section 1404 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977. (Sec. 2(c)(3))
Program: The Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program run by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture working with the Texas Animal Health Commission. (Sec. 2(c)(4))
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 2420
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to review the Cattle Fever Tick
Eradication Program, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 30, 2023
Ms. DE LA CRUZ (for herself, Mr. MOORE of Alabama, Mr. JACKSON of
Texas, Mr. ELLZEY, and Mr. GUEST) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to review the Cattle
Fever Tick Eradication Program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cattle Fever Tick
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Eradication Program Enhancement Act’’.
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SEC. 2. CATTLE FEVER TICK ERADICATION PROGRAM RE-
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VIEW AND REPORT.
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(a) PROGRAM REVIEW.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after
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the date of the enactment of this section, the Sec-
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•HR 2420 IH
retary of Agriculture shall offer to enter into a con-
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tract with a covered institution under which the cov-
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ered institution shall conduct a review of the Pro-
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gram.
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(2) REVIEW ELEMENTS.—The review conducted
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pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include an evalua-
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tion of—
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(A) the effectiveness of the Program with
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respect to preventing and reducing the spread
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of tick-borne illnesses in cattle;
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(B) with respect to cattle producers—
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(i) the benefits of the Program; and
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(ii) the burden of compliance with the
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Program;
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(C) the treatment protocols developed and
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implemented under the Program; and
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(D) the Federal and State funds allocated
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to support the Program for the most recent fis-
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cal year, including the funds allocated to each
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research project associated with the Program.
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(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date
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on which the Secretary of Agriculture and a covered insti-
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tution enter into a contract pursuant to subsection (a)(1),
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the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Com-
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mittee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
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•HR 2420 IH
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of
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the Senate a report that includes—
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(1) the results of the review conducted pursuant
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to subsection (a); and
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(2) recommendations for improvements to the
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Program, including recommendations for reducing
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the burden of compliance with the Program with re-
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spect to cattle producers.
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(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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(1) COVERED
INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘cov-
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ered institution’’ means—
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(A) a land-grant college or university; or
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(B) a non-land-grant college of agriculture.
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(2) LAND-GRANT COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.—
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The term ‘‘land-grant college or university’’ means
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an institution from among the land-grant colleges
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and universities (as defined in section 1404 of the
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Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)).
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(3) NON-LAND-GRANT
COLLEGE
OF
AGRI-
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CULTURE.—The term ‘‘non-land-grant college of ag-
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riculture’’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
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tion 1404 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977
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(7 U.S.C. 3103).
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(4) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means
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the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program carried
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•HR 2420 IH
out by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
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Service of the Department of Agriculture in coordi-
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nation with the Texas Animal Health Commission.
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Æ
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