Feral Swine Eradication Act

To amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to reauthorize the feral swine eradication and control pilot program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Feral Swine Eradication Act 2. Feral Swine Eradication and Control Program (a) In general Section 2408 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 ( 7 U.S.C. 8351 Public Law 115–334 (1) in the section heading, by striking pilot (2) in subsection (a), by striking pilot program program (referred to in this section as the program (3) in subsection (b)— (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking pilot (B) in each of paragraphs (1) and (2), by striking the pilot areas eligible areas (C) in paragraph (4), by striking pilot eligible (D) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and (E) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: (3) after determining that feral swine have been eradicated from an eligible area, require the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to continue monitoring such eligible area for the reoccurrence of feral swine for a period of 1 year; ; (4) in each of subsections (c), (e), (f), and (g), by striking pilot program program (5) in subsection (c)— (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking The Secretary In carrying out subsection (b)(5), the Secretary (B) in paragraph (1), by striking the pilot areas eligible areas (6) by amending subsection (e) to read as follows: (e) Eligible areas (1) In general The Secretary shall carry out the program in eligible areas. (2) Eligible area defined In this section, the term eligible area ; (7) in subsection (g)— (A) in paragraph (1), by striking 2019 through 2023 2024 through 2028 (B) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking 50 percent 40 percent (C) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking 50 percent 60 percent (8) by adding at the end the following: (h) Report (1) Data compilation Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, acting jointly shall compile the necessary information to submit a report under paragraph (2). (2) Report Not later than 4.5 years after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, acting jointly, shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and make publicly available on the website of the Department of Agriculture a report that— (A) describes, for the period beginning on the date of the establishment of the program and ending on the date of the submission of the report— (i) activities carried out under the program, including— (I) the number of counties in which feral swine are no longer present; and (II) estimated reductions in agriculture and natural resource damage, and improvements to human and livestock health and safety, as a result of feral swine removal; (ii) the use of funding made available under this section, including the number of counties in each State provided funding; and (iii) the roles of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service and agricultural producers provided financial assistance under this section in carrying out activities under the program; and (B) includes— (i) a determination by the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service as to the extent to which the program has been successful; and (ii) any recommendations for improvements to the program. . (b) Conforming amendment The table of contents for the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 ( Public Law 115–334 Sec. 2408. Feral swine eradication and control program. .

Summary: Feral Swine Eradication Act This bill reauthorizes the feral swine eradication and control pilot program and removes the pilot program designation. This Department of Agriculture (USDA) program responds to the threat feral swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal health. The bill also directs USDA to require the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to continue monitoring an area for reoccurrence of feral swine for one year after USDA determines that feral swine has been eradicated from an eligible area. The current even distribution of the program's funds between APHIS and the NRCS is amended to allocate 60% of the funds to APHIS and 40% of the funds to the NRCS. Further, the bill includes new reporting requirements, which direct APHIS and the NRCS to submit a joint report to Congress on the program. This report must be publicly available on USDA's website.