I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2431
To establish a National Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2003
Mr. KIND (for himself, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. TERRY, Mr. GILCHREST, 
Mr. GUTKNECHT, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr. UDALL of New 
Mexico, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota, Mr. 
REHBERG, 
Mr. 
STUPAK, 
Mr. 
THOMPSON
of 
California, 
Mr. 
FALEOMAVAEGA, Ms. BALDWIN, and Mr. PETRI) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition 
to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a National Chronic Wasting Disease Task 
Force, 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 Task Force Establishment Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Chronic Wasting Disease, the fatal neuro-
logical disease found in cervids, is a fundamental 
threat to the health and vibrancy of deer and elk 
populations, and the increased occurrence of chronic 
wasting disease in regionally diverse locations in re-
cent years necessitates an escalation in research, 
surveillance, monitoring, and public education efforts 
to contain and manage this lethal disease.
(2) The heads of relevant Federal agencies 
should provide consistent, coherent, and integrated 
support structures and programs for the benefit of 
State wildlife and agricultural administrators, as 
Chronic Wasting Disease can move freely between 
wild cervids across the broad array of Federal, 
State, tribal, and local land management jurisdic-
tions. 
(3) The Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary 
of Agriculture, and the heads of other affected Fed-
eral agencies need to better coordinate the activities 
of their agencies related to control of Chronic Wast-
ing Disease in wild cervid populations.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are the 
following: 
(1) To establish a National Chronic Wasting 
Disease Task Force to coordinate Federal, State,
and tribal activities to address the environmental 
and economic impacts caused by Chronic Wasting 
Disease on captive and wild populations of deer and 
elk.
(2) To implement the plan published jointly by 
the Department of the Interior and the Department 
of Agriculture entitled ‘‘Plan for Assisting States, 
Federal Agencies, and Tribes in Managing Chronic 
Wasting Disease in Wild and Captive Cervids’’, 
dated June 26, 2002. 
(3) To enhance Federal, State, and tribal re-
search concerning Chronic Wasting Disease, and to 
promote the development of new diagnostic, surveil-
lance, monitoring, and screening methods and tech-
nologies.
(4) To increase public awareness concerning 
Chronic Wasting Disease among the sport hunting 
community and the public at large through the im-
plementation of a national communications strategy. 
(c) ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE.—The Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘SEC. 10. NATIONAL CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE TASK 
FORCE. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Na-
tional Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force (in this sec-
tion referred to as the ‘Task Force’). 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Task Force shall—
‘‘(1) coordinate activities to implement the Na-
tional Plan in cooperation with State, regional, local, 
tribal, college, and university and non-governmental 
partners; 
‘‘(2) plan and host an annual national public 
conference to review progress made in implementing 
the National Plan; and 
‘‘(3) develop an annual cross-cutting budget to 
specify sufficient levels of appropriations necessary 
to implement the National Plan. 
‘‘(c) MEMBERSHIP.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The membership of the 
Task Force shall be as follows: 
‘‘(A) The Secretary of the Interior or a 
designee of the Secretary. 
‘‘(B) The Secretary of Agriculture or a 
designee of the Secretary. 
‘‘(C) Up to 15 individuals appointed jointly 
by the Secretary of the Interior and the Sec-
retary of Agriculture from representatives of
State agencies, commissions, and boards, re-
gional agencies, tribes, colleges and universities, 
and non-governmental organizations. 
‘‘(D) The chairman and ranking minority 
members of each of the Committee on Re-
sources and the Committee on Agriculture of 
the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Environment and Public Works and 
the Committee on Agriculture of the United 
States Senate. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS.—The 
members of the Task Force appointed by the co-
chairs under paragraph (1)(C)—
‘‘(A) shall not be officers or employees of 
the Federal Government; 
‘‘(B) shall be representative of the geo-
graphic distribution of the disease; and 
‘‘(C) shall have outstanding knowledge or 
expertise of wildlife biology and ecology, veteri-
nary sciences and animal husbandry, wildlife 
management, diagnostic and testing technology 
development, communications and media devel-
opment, or wildlife dependent recreation. 
‘‘(3) DEADLINE.—The Secretaries shall com-
plete appointment of members under paragraph
(1)(C) by note later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this section. 
‘‘(4) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the members 
appointed under paragraph (1)(C)—
‘‘(A) shall not affect the power or duty of 
the Task Force; and 
‘‘(B) shall be expeditiously filled in the 
same manner as the original appointment was 
made. 
‘‘(d) CO-CHAIRS.—The Secretary of the Interior and 
the Secretary of Agriculture (or their designees under 
paragraph (1) (A) and (B)), shall be co-chairs of the Task 
Force. 
‘‘(e) COMPENSATION.—The members of the Task 
Force shall receive no compensation for their service on 
the Task Force. 
‘‘(f) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Task 
Force shall be allowed necessary travel expenses in accord-
ance with section 5702 of title 5, United States Code, 
while away from their homes or regular places of business 
in the performance of services for the Task Force. 
‘‘(g) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—Upon the request 
of the Task Force—
‘‘(1) the co-chairs of the Task Force, acting 
through their designees, may provide to the Task
Force such administrative and technical support as 
is necessary for the Task Force to carry out its du-
ties under this section, including services relating to 
budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, per-
sonnel, and procurement: and 
‘‘(2) the head of any other appropriate Federal 
agency may provide to the Task Force such advice 
and assistance, with or without reimbursement, as is 
appropriate to assist the Task Force in carrying out 
its duties. 
‘‘(h) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 
after the completion of appointment of the members of 
the Task Force, and annually thereafter, the Task Force 
shall submit to the Congress a report—
‘‘(1) describing the activities and achievements 
of the Task Force; 
‘‘(2) setting forth an annual plan and forecast 
for activities of the Task Force scheduled for the fol-
lowing year; 
‘‘(3) a summary of new developments; and 
‘‘(4) a cross-cutting budget to support the ac-
tivities of the Task Force. 
‘‘(i) NATIONAL PLAN DEFINED.—In this section the 
term ‘National Plan’ means the plan published jointly by 
the Department of the Interior and the Department of Ag-
riculture entitled ‘Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agen-
cies, and Tribes in Managing Chronic Wasting Disease in 
Wild and Captive Cervids’, dated June 26, 2002.’’.
Æ