Sponsors (12)
The bill improves early detection, coordinated response, and economic protection for the livestock industry at the cost of potential short-term business disruptions in affected areas and recurring administrative burdens for federal and state agencies.
Farmers and rural communities will face lower risk to livestock and the broader agricultural economy because the bill mandates eradication protocols and allows science- and risk-based continuity of business for non-infected animals and areas, reducing large-scale economic losses.
State and local wildlife and livestock health officers will get coordinated surveillance and faster outbreak response, improving early detection and containment of screwworm infestations and reducing animal morbidity and spread.
State governments (and Congress) will have more transparency and accountability because agencies must provide annual joint reports on surveillance, infestations, and response actions until the pest is quarantined, informing oversight and future policy choices.
Ranchers and land users in quarantined or restricted areas will face business interruptions and direct costs for containment measures if eradication requires movement restrictions or other control actions.
Federal agencies (USDA, Interior) and state partners will incur ongoing coordination, reporting, and compliance costs — including extended annual reporting obligations until external certification — which could divert staff time and funds from other programs.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs Agriculture and Interior to sign an interagency agreement within 180 days to coordinate surveillance, control, and eradication of New World screwworm on specified Federal lands and report annually to Congress until eradication is certified.
Official title: To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a memorandum of understanding or other interagency agreement, to carry out, and coordinate on, activities to prevent, control, and eradicate New World screwworm in wildlife and non-livestock species of animals on certain Federal lands, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 10, 2026 by Ronny Jackson · Last progress February 10, 2026
Requires the Agriculture and Interior Secretaries to sign an interagency agreement within 180 days to coordinate prevention, control, and eradication of New World screwworm on specified Federal lands. It directs joint surveillance and response protocols, coordination with State wildlife and livestock health officers, development of science- and risk-based approaches to protect commerce, and annual reporting to Congress until eradication is certified. The bill focuses on surveillance, outbreak response, information sharing, and eradication measures affecting National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and Forest Service lands, and it sets deadlines and reporting requirements for federal coordination and oversight.