Sponsors (3)
The bill funds a review that could yield more effective, evidence-based tick control and greater spending transparency, but it may delay immediate actions and divert funds while imposing possible transition costs on producers.
Cattle producers and their herds: a mandated review could improve Program effectiveness and reduce tick-borne illnesses, lowering livestock losses and veterinary costs for producers.
Cattle producers: the review could recommend streamlined rules or alternative protocols that lower compliance burdens and reduce regulatory costs for producers.
Taxpayers: the review must detail Federal and State spending on the Program and each research project for the most recent fiscal year, increasing transparency about how funds are used.
Cattle producers: if the review recommends program changes, producers may face new compliance rules or treatment protocols during implementation, creating transition costs.
Taxpayers and producers: conducting the contracting and review will incur administrative costs to USDA and could divert funds away from direct tick‑control activities.
Farmers and program staff: the review process could delay near-term Program changes if resources shift to the study instead of immediate interventions.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires USDA to contract with an agricultural college to review the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program and report findings and recommendations to congressional agriculture committees within a year.
Introduced January 14, 2025 by Monica De La Cruz · Last progress January 14, 2025
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to offer, within one year of enactment, to contract with a qualified land‑grant or non‑land‑grant college of agriculture to perform an independent review of the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program administered by APHIS in coordination with the Texas Animal Health Commission. The review must assess program effectiveness at preventing tick‑borne cattle illnesses, treatment protocols, benefits and compliance burdens for cattle producers, and the Federal and State funding directed to the Program for the most recent fiscal year, and the Secretary must submit the review and recommendations to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees within one year after the contract is entered. One section only establishes an official short title and does not change program duties, create new spending, or impose new requirements on producers; no specific appropriations are included.