I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6272 
To authorize a special resource study on the spread vectors of chronic wasting 
disease in Cervidae, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 28, 2018 
Mr. ABRAHAM (for himself, Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. COSTELLO 
of Pennsylvania, Mr. MARINO, and Mr. GOSAR) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition 
to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize a special resource study on the spread vectors 
of chronic wasting disease in Cervidae, 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 Transmission in Cervidae Study Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) Chronic wasting disease continues to spread 
in wild, free-ranging cervid herds and in captive 
cervid herds across the United States, and as of 
June 2018, is in 25 States. 
(2) From June 2017 to June 2018 alone, the 
disease was detected for the first time in free-rang-
ing cervid herds in Mississippi and Montana and 
there were new positive detections of the disease in 
13 captive cervid herds from Illinois, Michigan, Min-
nesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. 
(3) Five of such herds are being monitored by 
the National Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certifi-
cation Program of the Animal and Plant Health In-
spection Service, and therefore are considered to be 
at low-risk for chronic wasting disease. 
(4) From June 2017 to June 2018, 10 States, 
including Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, 
Missouri, Nebraska, Texas, West Virginia, Wis-
consin, and Wyoming, are already fighting to control 
the transmission and spread of chronic wasting dis-
ease and found positive detections for the disease in 
additional wild, free-ranging cervid herds. 
(5) New positive detections in captive cervid 
herds were found in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, 
Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. 
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(6) There is no known cure for chronic wasting 
disease, no reliable live animal test to detect the dis-
ease, and only a post-mortem test that provides 
some measure of reliable detection of the disease. 
(7) Chronic wasting disease is 100 percent fatal 
and is arguably the most important disease threat-
ening North American cervid resources. 
(8) The spread of chronic wasting disease con-
tinues to increasingly and adversely affect the eco-
nomic well-being of rural communities, the hunting 
public, farmed cervid producers, and State wildlife 
and agricultural agencies, because the only known 
measure for reducing the spread of chronic wasting 
disease is the complete depopulation of herds that 
test positive for the disease, a drastic measure which 
comes with great costs for all. 
(9) The long-term environmental persistence of 
chronic wasting disease’s causative agent means that 
State wildlife management agencies, State depart-
ments of agriculture, and private cervid farmers 
have relatively few options to mitigate the effects of 
such disease. 
(10) There are ongoing debates about the pre-
dominant transmission pathways that are causing 
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the new detections and continued spread of chronic 
wasting disease in cervids across the United States. 
SEC. 3. CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE TRANSMISSION IN 
CERVIDAE RESOURCE STUDY. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary shall conduct a special 
resource study to identify the predominant pathways and 
mechanisms of the transmission of chronic wasting disease 
in wild, captive, and farmed populations of species of the 
family Cervidae in the United States. 
(b) CONDUCTING THE STUDY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In conducting the study 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall request the 
National Academy of Sciences to conduct such study 
under an arrangement under which the actual ex-
penses incurred by such Academy in conducting such 
study will be paid by the Secretary. If the National 
Academy of Sciences is willing to do so, the Sec-
retary shall enter into such an arrangement with 
such Academy for the conduct of such study. 
(2) OTHER ENTITIES.—If the National Acad-
emy of Sciences is unwilling to conduct such study 
under such an arrangement, then the Secretary shall 
enter into a similar arrangement with an appro-
priate research institute or institute of higher edu-
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