Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act

To support research and state management efforts on chronic wasting disease. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Chronic wasting disease, the fatal neurological disease found in cervids, is a fundamental threat to the health and vibrancy of deer, elk, and moose populations, and the increased occurrence of chronic wasting disease in regionally diverse locations necessitates an escalation in research, surveillance, monitoring, and management activities focused on containing and managing chronic wasting disease. (2) A focus on research into the transmission of, resistance to, diagnosis of, and epidemiology of chronic wasting disease is needed to inform future policies to combat the disease and ensure the health of cervid populations. (3) Because States and Tribes have diverse policies for addressing chronic wasting disease, the Federal Government, in consultation with the Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force established by section 104 of America’s Conservation Enhancement Act ( Public Law 116–188 (4) Pursuant to State and Federal law, the States retain primacy and policymaking authority with regard to wildlife management. (5) Under current policies, chronic wasting disease remains a systemic threat to cervids. (6) Scientific advances that lead to the ability to stop transmission of chronic wasting disease are needed to ensure the long-term viability of cervids. 3. Chronic wasting disease research and management program (a) Research program (1) In general Not later than 90 days after the date on which funds are made available to carry out this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall offer to enter into cooperative agreements or other legal instruments, as authorized under 10413 of the Animal Health Protection Act ( 7 U.S.C. 8312 (2) Criteria for selection In entering into cooperative agreements or other legal instruments pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that shall conduct research relating to— (A) (i) methods and products to effectively detect infectious chronic wasting disease prions in live cervids, cervid excreta, the environment, and inorganic surfaces, and to decontaminate such infectious prions; or (ii) testing methods that significantly improve sensitivity and accelerate timelines for test results on non-live cervids; (B) the long-term suppression or eradication of chronic wasting disease; or (C) determination markers for genetic resistance to chronic wasting disease and strategies for using genetic resistance to combat the spread of the disease; (D) sustainable cervid harvest management practices to reduce chronic wasting disease occurrence and to prevent or limit spatial spread of chronic wasting disease; or (E) factors contributing to local emergence of chronic wasting disease, increased prevalence of chronic wasting disease, and distribution of chronic wasting disease, including mechanisms of disease transmission and effective barriers to transmission. (3) Size of awards To the maximum extent practicable, individual cooperative agreements or other legal instruments entered into under paragraph (1) shall be not less than two percent and not more than 10 percent of the funds appropriated to carry out this section. (4) Administrative costs by eligible entities Of the amount of a cooperative agreement or other legal instrument entered into with an eligible entity under paragraph (1), the eligible entity may use not more than 10 percent of such amounts for administrative costs incurred by the eligible entity in carrying out the research described in such paragraph. (b) Support for State efforts to manage and control chronic wasting disease (1) In general Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall offer to enter into cooperative agreements or other legal instruments, as authorized under section 10413 of the Animal Health Protection Act ( 7 U.S.C. 8312 (2) Application A State or Tribal wildlife agency or department of agriculture seeking direct financial assistance under this subsection shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time and manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (3) Funding priorities In allocating funds made available to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year among State and Tribal wildlife agencies or departments of agriculture that submit an application for direct financial assistance under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to States and Indian tribes that have— (A) within their respective jurisdictions, the highest incidence of chronic wasting disease; (B) shown the greatest financial commitment to managing, monitoring, surveying, and researching chronic wasting disease; (C) comprehensive policies and programs focused on chronic wasting disease management that have integrated the programs and policies of all involved agencies related to chronic wasting disease management; (D) the greatest risk of an initial occurrence of chronic wasting disease originating from surrounding areas; or (E) the greatest need for response to new outbreaks of chronic wasting disease occurring in— (i) areas in which chronic wasting disease is already found; or (ii) areas with first infections, with the intent of containing chronic wasting disease in any new area of infection. (4) Rapid response If a State or Indian tribe detects chronic wasting disease in a cervid population within its jurisdiction that was not previously infected, the Secretary may, notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3), immediately issue funds made available under subsection (e), in an amount to be determined by the Secretary, to support State and Tribal efforts to immediately control the spread of chronic wasting disease within that population. (5) Public education on chronic wasting disease The Secretary, in consultation with State and Tribal departments of agriculture and wildlife agencies, organizations representing the farmed cervid industry, and organizations representing deer hunters, shall develop and maintain materials based on the latest scientific knowledge to be used to educate the public on chronic wasting disease and techniques to help prevent the spread of the disease. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Chronic wasting disease The term chronic wasting disease (A) is a transmissible disease of the nervous system resulting in distinctive lesions in the brain; and (B) belongs to the group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, which includes scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease. (2) Eligible entity The term eligible entity (A) a State or Tribal department of agriculture; (B) a State or Tribal wildlife agency; (C) a Tribal research facility; (D) an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 (E) a research center conducting or qualified to conduct scientific research on chronic wasting disease. (d) Review of Herd Certification program standards Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish a notice in the Federal Register soliciting public feedback on potential updates and improvements to the chronic wasting disease herd certification program standards with special consideration given to— (1) minimizing or eliminating the interaction of captive and wild deer; (2) reviewing and updating indemnity practices, including the use of live testing, to ensure the timely and targeted removal of chronic wasting disease positive deer from the landscape; and (3) increasing participation in the herd certification program. (e) Authorization of appropriations (1) In general There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $70,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through fiscal year 2028, to remain available until expended. (2) Allocation among programs To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall allocate the funds made available under paragraph (1) evenly between the research program under subsection (a) and the management program under subsection (b). (3) Set-aside for wildlife agencies The Secretary shall ensure that, of the funds made available and allocated to carry out subsection (b), not less than 75 percent of such funds are made available to State or Tribal wildlife agencies. (f) Administrative costs Of the funds made available under subsection (e) for a fiscal year to carry out this section, the Secretary may use not more than 10 percent of such funds for administrative costs incurred by the Secretary in carrying out this section. (g) Rule of construction Nothing in this section shall be construed as interfering with, or otherwise affecting, the authority of the Federal Government or States to manage wildlife and livestock on land within their respective jurisdictions, including managing, surveying, and monitoring the incidence of chronic wasting disease. 4. Technical amendment Section 10403(8) of the Animal Health Protection Act ( 7 U.S.C. 8302(8) ( 25 U.S.C. 450b ( 25 U.S.C. 5304 December 7, 2021 Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Summary: Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address chronic wasting disease afflicting deer, elk, and moose populations. Specifically, the bill directs USDA to establish a program to research and manage the disease. Under the program, USDA must offer to enter into agreements with state or tribal wildlife agencies and departments of agriculture, institutions of higher education, and research centers to support research on the transmission of, resistance to, and diagnosis of the disease. In addition, USDA must offer to enter into agreements with such agencies and departments to support state and tribal efforts to develop and implement management strategies that address the disease. USDA must also develop and maintain materials to inform the public on chronic wasting disease and techniques to help prevent the spread of the disease. In addition, USDA must solicit public feedback on potential updates and improvements to standards of the chronic wasting disease herd certification program.