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Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced June 6, 2025 by Monica De La Cruz · Last progress June 6, 2025
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (through APHIS) to conduct a study of U.S. readiness to prevent and respond to reintroduction of the New World screwworm (NWS). The study must assess threats, sterile insect production capacity, surveillance, emergency response plans, research needs, and international cooperation, include stakeholder consultations, and produce a public report with findings and recommendations to key Congressional agriculture committees. This is a planning and reporting measure aimed at improving preparedness for a pest that can seriously harm livestock, wildlife, and people; it does not itself provide new funding or mandate specific operational actions beyond producing the study and report.
Defines the New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) and states that its larvae infest and feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, including livestock, wildlife, and, in rare cases, humans (referred to as “NWS”).
States that NWS infestations can cause severe tissue damage, secondary infections, and often death, posing a significant threat to agricultural economies, wildlife populations, and public health.
Notes that the United States successfully eradicated NWS in the 1960s, primarily using the sterile insect technique (releasing sterile male flies to disrupt reproduction).
Reports that recent outbreaks and confirmed detections of NWS in neighboring countries, especially Mexico, increase the risk that NWS could be reintroduced and become established in the United States.
Concludes that proactive measures—enhanced surveillance, rapid response capabilities, and continued research into innovative control methods—are critical to prevent a widespread NWS outbreak and reduce economic and ecological impacts.
Primary near-term impacts are informational and organizational: USDA/APHIS must allocate staff time and resources to complete the study and produce the public report. Agricultural producers, owners/operators of commercial farms, and livestock-dependent communities stand to benefit indirectly from improved preparedness recommendations; results could identify needs for expanded surveillance, diagnostic capacity, sterile insect production, and emergency response planning. State and local animal health agencies and veterinary professionals will be consulted and may be asked to supply data or participate in planning. Research institutions and laboratories may be identified for additional work to fill gaps. Because the measure mandates a study rather than prescribing operational actions or funding, immediate costs and operational changes are limited; however, the study could lead to future appropriations, program creation, or regulatory changes based on its recommendations. International cooperation elements may affect cross-border surveillance and information-sharing with neighboring countries where NWS detections have occurred.
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Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House