Sponsors (3)
The bill strengthens bat monitoring and federal conservation coordination to secure large economic and health benefits from bats' pest-control services, while potentially imposing regulatory constraints and costs on private landowners and taxpayers.
Farmers and agricultural workers save an estimated $3.7 billion annually because bats provide natural pest control, lowering producers' pest management costs and likely reducing consumer prices.
Conservation managers, state governments, nonprofits, and the public gain access to a consolidated North American Bat Monitoring Program dataset (~94 million records), enabling faster, coordinated disease science and monitoring and improving response capacity.
Rural communities and farmers benefit from reduced insect-borne risks to human health and agriculture because maintaining bat populations preserves natural pest-control services.
Homeowners, small-business owners, and private landowners could face new or tighter restrictions on land use if findings support endangered-species protections (e.g., for the northern long‑eared bat) under the Endangered Species Act.
Homeowners, developers, and taxpayers may bear increased costs because emphasizing federal coordination and conservation can lead to higher federal spending or regulatory requirements (compliance, land management, or mitigation expenses).
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Finds and records the value of bats, the threat of white‑nose syndrome, and commends federal and partner responses and monitoring efforts.
Official title: Expressing support for the designation of the week of October 24, 2025, to October 31, 2025, as "Bat Week".
Introduced October 16, 2025 by Peter Welch · Last progress October 28, 2025
Recognizes the ecological and economic value of bats, highlights the severe threat posed by white‑nose syndrome to multiple bat species and populations, and commends Federal agencies and partner programs for coordinating research, monitoring, and response efforts to slow and treat the disease. The resolution summarizes recent progress and the role of interagency and multi‑partner initiatives in understanding and addressing white‑nose syndrome.