I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2636
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make grants to State and 
tribal governments to assist State and tribal efforts to manage and 
control the spread of chronic wasting disease in deer and elk herds, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2003
Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin (for himself, Mr. MCINNIS, and Mr. RYAN of Wis-
consin) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make grants 
to State and tribal governments to assist State and tribal 
efforts to manage and control the spread of chronic 
wasting disease in deer and elk herds, and for other 
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Chronic Wasting Dis-
ease Financial Assistance Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITION AND FINDINGS. 
(a) CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE DEFINED.—In this 
Act, the term ‘‘chronic wasting disease’’ means the animal 
disease afflicting deer and elk that— 
(1) is a transmissible disease of the nervous 
system resulting in distinctive lesions in the brain; 
and 
(2) belongs to the group of diseases known as 
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, which 
group 
includes 
scrapie, 
bovine 
spongiform 
encephalopathy, and Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The States retain undisputed primacy and 
policy-making authority with regard to wildlife man-
agement, and nothing in this Act interferes with or 
otherwise affects the primacy of the States in man-
aging wildlife generally, or managing, surveying, and 
monitoring the incidence of chronic wasting disease 
in animal populations. 
(2) Chronic wasting disease is a fundamental 
threat to the health and vibrancy of deer and elk 
populations, and the increased occurrence of chronic 
wasting disease in the United States necessitates 
government action to manage and eradicate this le-
thal disease.
(3) As the States and tribal government move 
to manage existing incidence of chronic wasting dis-
ease and insulate non-infected wild cervid popu-
lations from the disease, it is appropriate for the 
Federal Government to support their efforts with fi-
nancial assistance. 
SEC. 3. STATE CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE MANAGEMENT 
CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS. 
(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of the In-
terior shall make grants to State wildlife management 
agencies to assist States in developing and implementing 
long term management strategies to address chronic wast-
ing disease in wild cervids. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—A wildlife management agency of 
a State whose comprehensive wildlife conservation plan in-
clude chronic wasting disease management activities is eli-
gible for a grant under this section. 
(c) FUNDING
PRIORITIES.—In determining the 
amount of grant funds to be provided to eligible applicants 
under this section, the Secretary shall prioritize applicants 
based on the following criteria: 
(1) States in which chronic wasting disease has 
been detected and States located adjacent or in 
proximity to States in which chronic wasting disease 
has been detected.
(2) States that have expended State funds for 
chronic wasting disease management, monitoring, 
surveillance, and research, with additional priority 
given to those States that have shown the greatest 
financial commitment to managing, monitoring, sur-
veying, and researching chronic wasting disease. 
(3) States with comprehensive and integrated 
policies and programs focused on chronic wasting 
disease management between involved State wildlife 
and agricultural agencies and tribal governments, 
with additional priority given to States that have in-
tegrated the programs and policies of all involved 
agencies related to chronic wasting disease manage-
ment. 
(4) States that are seeking to develop a rapid 
response capacity to address outbreaks of chronic 
wasting disease, whether occurring in States in 
which chronic wasting disease is already found or 
States with first infections, for the purpose of con-
taining the disease in any new area of infection. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated $7,500,000 to carry out 
this section.
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR STATES WITH CHRONIC WASTING DIS-
EASE OUTBREAKS. 
(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of the In-
terior shall make grants to State wildlife management 
agencies to assist States in responding to chronic wasting 
disease outbreaks in wild cervids. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—A wildlife management agency of 
a State whose comprehensive wildlife conservation plan in-
clude chronic wasting disease management activities is eli-
gible for a grant under this section. 
(c) FUNDING
PRIORITIES.—In determining the 
amount of grant funds to be provided to eligible applicants 
under this section, the Secretary shall prioritize applicants 
based on the following criteria: 
(1) State expenditures on chronic wasting dis-
ease management, monitoring, surveillance, and re-
search in response to management of an on-going 
outbreak. 
(2) The number of chronic wasting disease 
cases detected in the State. 
(3) The wild cervid population of the State. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 to carry 
out this section.
managing, monitoring, and surveying chronic wast-
ing disease. 
(3) Tribal governments with cooperative ar-
rangements with Federal and State wildlife and ag-
ricultural agencies and State governments, with ad-
ditional priority given to tribal governments that are 
working with other involved agencies on issues of 
chronic wasting disease management. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 to carry out 
this section. 
SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION. 
The Secretary of the Interior shall carry out this Act 
acting through the Director, United States Fish and Wild-
life Service. Funds appropriated to carry out this Act shall 
be administered through the Federal Assistance Program 
in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Not more 
than three percent of such funds may be expended for ad-
ministrative expenses of the United States Fish and Wild-
life Service to carry out this Act.
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