I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7276 

To establish an interagency working group to develop a comprehensive, strategic plan to eradicate locust outbreaks in the East Africa region and 

address future outbreaks in order to avert mass scale food insecurity 

and potential political destabilization, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2020 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Ms. BASS) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To establish an interagency working group to develop a comprehensive, strategic plan to eradicate locust outbreaks 

in the East Africa region and address future outbreaks 

in order to avert mass scale food insecurity and potential 

political destabilization, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘East Africa Locust 

5 Eradication Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

2 It is the policy of the United States to address 

3 proactively threats to food security in the East Africa re4 gion and elsewhere, as well as the concomitant potential 

5 for political instability, caused by periodic locust out6 breaks, and to promote resilience in affected countries. 

7 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 

9 (1) The United States Agency for International 

10 Development reports that the East Africa region is 

11 currently suffering the worst locust outbreaks in 

12 decades, which will devour crops and pasture across 

13 that region. 

14 (2) As of June 2020, there were more than 26 

15 million people experiencing acute food insecurity in 

16 Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, 

17 Uganda, Sudan, and Djibouti, and untold more will 

18 be at risk if the locusts are not controlled. 

19 (3) The World Food Programme reports that 

20 there may be insufficient resources to conduct aerial 

21 spraying to address the locust outbreaks that are 

22 currently devastating the East Africa region, and 

23 the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organiza24 tion warns that the current outbreaks could develop 

25 into a plague by the end of 2020 if they are not con26 trolled. 


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1 (4) The locust outbreaks in the Horn of Africa 

2 region, particularly in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Soma3 lia, represents an unprecedented threat to food secu4 rity and livelihoods, and potentially, by extension, 

5 political stability in the region. 

6 (5) A relatively small investment now to help 

7 eradicate the locust outbreaks will obviate or amelio8 rate the need for a much larger United States emer9 gency food aid effort later, as well as help promote 

10 political stability and build resilience. 

11 (6) In order to optimize a United States re12 sponse to the locust outbreaks and future outbreaks, 

13 it is necessary to establish an interagency working 

14 group to develop and implement a comprehensive, 

15 strategic plan to eradicate locust outbreaks in the 

16 East Africa region and address future outbreaks. 

17 SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP. 

18 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established an inter19 agency working group to develop a comprehensive, stra20 tegic plan to eradicate locust outbreaks in the East Africa 

21 region and address future outbreaks in order to avert 

22 mass scale food insecurity and potential political desta23 bilization. 

24 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The interagency working 

2 group shall be composed of— 

3 (A) the United States Ambassador to the 

4 United Nations Agencies for Food and Agri5 culture; 

6 (B) one member who is an officer or em7 ployee of the National Security Council, who 

8 shall be appointed by the Assistant to the Presi9 dent for National Security Affairs; 

10 (C) one member who is an officer or em11 ployee of the Department of State, who shall be 

12 appointed by the Secretary of State; 

13 (D) one member who is an officer or em14 ployee of the Department of Defense, who shall 

15 be appointed by the Secretary of Defense; 

16 (E) one member who is an officer or em17 ployee of the Department of Agriculture, who 

18 shall be appointed by the Secretary of Agri19 culture; and 

20 (F) two members who are officers or em21 ployees of the United States Agency for Inter22 national Development, who shall be appointed 

23 by the Administrator of the Agency. 

24 (2) CHAIR.—The President shall designate one 

25 member of the interagency working group specified 


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1 in paragraph (1) to serve as chair of the interagency 

2 working group. 

3 (c) DUTIES.—The interagency working group shall— 

4 (1) assess the scope of the locust outbreaks in 

5 the East Africa region and its impact on food secu6 rity and political stability in the region, including in 

7 the context of restrictions relating to the coronavirus 

8 disease 2019 (commonly referred to as ‘‘COVID9 19’’) pandemic; 

10 (2) review the effectiveness of regional and mul11 tilateral efforts to eradicate the locust outbreaks in 

12 the East Africa region and the coordination among 

13 relevant United States Government agencies, re14 gional governments, and international organizations, 

15 including the World Food Programme and the 

16 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization; 

17 and 

18 (3) develop a comprehensive, strategic plan to 

19 eradicate locust outbreaks in the East Africa region 

20 and address future outbreaks in the region in order 

21 to avert mass scale food insecurity and potential po22 litical destabilization, including— 

23 (A) to more effectively address the out24 breaks, including improving— 


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1 (i) the coordination among relevant 

2 United States Government agencies, re3 gional governments, and international or4 ganizations, including the World Food Pro5 gramme and the United Nations Food and 

6 Agriculture Organization; and 

7 (ii) the delivery of necessary assets to 

8 achieve the eradication of the outbreaks or 

9 otherwise mitigate the impact of such out10 breaks to the extent necessary to avoid 

11 major food insecurity; and 

12 (B) prevent or mitigate future locust out13 breaks in Africa and other parts of the world. 

14 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

15 on which the interagency working group is established 

16 under subsection (a), the interagency working group shall 

17 submit to the President a report that contains the com18 prehensive, strategic plan required by subsection (c)(3). 

19 SEC. 5. IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPREHENSIVE, STRA20 TEGIC PLAN. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 

22 date on which the comprehensive, strategic plan is sub23 mitted to the President as required by section 4(d), the 

24 President shall designate one member of the interagency 


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1 working group to coordinate implementation of the com2 prehensive, strategic plan. 

3 (b) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP SUPPORT.—The 

4 interagency working group shall continue to meet not less 

5 than semi-annually to facilitate implementation of the 

6 comprehensive, strategic plan required by section 4(c)(3). 

7 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—Upon request of the 

8 member of the interagency working group designated by 

9 the President under subsection (a), the Administrator of 

10 the United States Agency for International Development 

11 shall provide necessary and appropriate administrative 

12 support of the Agency to facilitate implementation of the 

13 comprehensive, strategic plan required by section 4(c)(3). 

14 SEC. 6. REPORT. 

15 Not later than 90 days after appointment of the 

16 member of the interagency working group designated by 

17 the President under section 5(a), the member shall submit 

18 to Congress a report on the status of the implementation 

19 of the comprehensive, strategic plan required by section 

20 4(c)(3). 

Æ 


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