I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1709 

To authorize resources for sustained research and analysis to address Colony 

Collapse Disorder, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 27, 2007 

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To authorize resources for sustained research and analysis 

to address Colony Collapse Disorder, 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 ‘‘Pollinator Protection 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Many of the crops that humans and live9 stock consume rely on pollinators for healthy 

10 growth. More specifically, pollination by honey bees 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
2 

•HR 1709 IH

1 adds over $15,000,000,000 annually to the value of 

2 United States crops. 

3 (2) One-third of our food supply depends on 

4 honey bee pollination, which makes the management 

5 and protection of pollinators an issue of paramount 

6 importance to the security of the United States food 

7 supply system. 

8 (3) Colony Collapse Disorder is the name that 

9 has been given to the latest die-off of honey bee colo10 nies, exacerbating the continual decline of pollinators 

11 in North America. Colonies in more than 23 states 

12 have been affected by this disorder. 

13 (4) If the current rate of decline continues, the 

14 United States will be forced to rely more heavily on 

15 imported foods. Thus, American food security would 

16 be destabilized through adverse affects on avail17 ability, price, and quality of the many fruits, vegeta18 bles, and other products that depend on animal polli19 nation. 

20 (5) Enhanced funding for research on honey 

21 bees, parasites, pathogens, toxins, and other environ22 mental factors affecting bees and pollination of cul23 tivated and wild plants will yield responses to Colony 

24 Collapse Disorder and other factors causing the de25 cline of pollinators in North America. 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
3 

•HR 1709 IH

1 SEC. 3. SUSTAINED APICULTURAL RESEARCH AND COLONY 

2 COLLAPSE DISORDER WORKING GROUP. 

3 (a) AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE.—There is 

4 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agri5 culture, acting through the Agricultural Research Service, 

6 the following: 

7 (1) $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 

8 through 2012 for new personnel, facilities improve9 ment, and additional research at Department of Ag10 riculture Apicultural Research Laboratories. 

11 (2) $2,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 

12 and 2009 for research on honey bee physiology, in13 sect pathology, insect chemical ecology, and honey 

14 bee toxicology at other Department of Agriculture 

15 facilities in New York, Florida, California, and 

16 Texas. 

17 (3) $1,750,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 

18 through 2010 for an area-wide research program to 

19 identify causes and solutions for Colony Collapse 

20 Disorder in affected States. 

21 (b) COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, 

22 AND EXTENSION SERVICE.—There is authorized to be ap23 propriated to the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through 

24 the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 

25 Service, $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
4 

•HR 1709 IH

1 through 2012 to fund Department of Agriculture research 

2 grants to investigate— 

3 (1) honey bee immunology; 

4 (2) honey bee biology and ecology; 

5 (3) pollination biology; 

6 (4) honey bee genomics; 

7 (5) honey bee bioinformatics; 

8 (6) sublethal effects of insecticides, herbicides 

9 and fungicides on honey bees and other beneficial in10 sects; and 

11 (7) effects of genetically modified crops and 

12 their interaction with honey bees and other polli13 nators. 

Æ 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS