Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program Enhancement Act

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to review the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program Enhancement Act 2. Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program review and report (a) Program review (1) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall offer to enter into a contract with a covered institution under which the covered institution shall conduct a review of the Program. (2) Review elements The review conducted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include an evaluation of— (A) the effectiveness of the Program with respect to preventing and reducing the spread of tick-borne illnesses in cattle; (B) with respect to cattle producers— (i) the benefits of the Program; and (ii) the burden of compliance with the Program; (C) the treatment protocols developed and implemented under the Program; and (D) the Federal and State funds allocated to support the Program for the most recent fiscal year, including the funds allocated to each research project associated with the Program. (b) Report Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary of Agriculture and a covered institution enter into a contract pursuant to subsection (a)(1), the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that includes— (1) the results of the review conducted pursuant to subsection (a); and (2) recommendations for improvements to the Program, including recommendations for reducing the burden of compliance with the Program with respect to cattle producers. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Covered institution The term covered institution (A) a land-grant college or university; or (B) a non-land-grant college of agriculture. (2) Land-grant college or university The term land-grant college or university 7 U.S.C. 3103 (3) Non-land-grant college of agriculture The term non-land-grant college of agriculture 7 U.S.C. 3103 (4) Program The term Program

Summary: Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program Enhancement Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enter into a contract to evaluate the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program. (Under the program, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service works in coordination with the Texas Animal Health Commission to combat the spread of cattle fever ticks, which can spread a serious cattle disease called bovine babesiosis or cattle fever.) Specifically, USDA must enter into a contract to review and report on the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program with a (1) land-grant college or university, or (2) non-land-grant college of agriculture. The review must include an evaluation of the program's effectiveness with respect to preventing and reducing the spread of tick-borne illnesses in cattle; the program's benefits, and the burdens of compliance, to cattle producers; the treatment protocols developed and implemented under the program; and the federal and state funds allocated to support the program for the most recent fiscal year.