I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6276 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to identify and declare wildlife 
disease emergencies and to coordinate rapid response to these emer-
gencies, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 
Ms. SHEA-PORTER (for herself and Ms. BORDALLO) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 
addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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 the Secretary of the Interior to identify and 
declare wildlife disease emergencies and to coordinate 
rapid response to these emergencies, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Wildlife Disease Emer-
gency Act of 2010’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are to— 
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(1) authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
identify and declare wildlife disease emergencies; 
(2) establish a fund through which the Sec-
retary may coordinate rapid response to these emer-
gencies; and 
(3) prepare for, identify, and address diseases 
adversely affecting wildlife populations and biodiver-
sity through strategic and coordinated actions be-
tween the Federal agencies and State and local 
agencies, Indian tribes, and nongovernmental organi-
zations. 
SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF WILDLIFE DISEASE EMERGENCY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior, in 
consultation with the Governor of a potentially affected 
State or States, may declare within such State or States 
a wildlife disease emergency for disease that is— 
(1) occurring within the United States; or 
(2) occurring outside the United States with 
the potential to enter the United States. 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In making a declaration 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consider— 
(1) the level of threat the disease poses to af-
fected wildlife populations, based on the— 
(A) relative threat to population levels; 
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(B) relative strength of the contagion and 
spread of the disease; 
(C) observed rate of morbidity or mortality 
of the disease; and 
(D) priority of affected species or eco-
systems, including— 
(i) species listed under the Endan-
gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1531 et seq.); 
(ii) species protected by the Migratory 
Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.), 
Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 
(16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), or other Federal 
statutes; 
(iii) species and habitats identified as 
priorities through the National Fish and 
Wildlife Climate Adaptation Plan or other 
Federal, State or local laws, regulations, 
and conservation plans; and 
(iv) wildlife located on Federal lands; 
(2) the sufficiency of resources available in the 
Wildlife Disease Emergency Fund established under 
section 4; 
(3) the ability of the Department of the Interior 
and other Federal, State, and local agencies, tribal 
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governments, and other stakeholders to address and 
coordinate response to the disease through other au-
thorities; and 
(4) the request of any State Governor to make 
such a declaration. 
(c) RESPONSE COORDINATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Upon a declaration of a 
wildlife disease emergency by the Secretary, the Sec-
retary shall lead a coordinated response to the emer-
gency that shall include appropriate Federal agen-
cies, State and local governments, Indian tribes, 
nongovernmental organizations, or other stake-
holders. 
(2) GRANT PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall de-
velop and implement a grant program to provide 
funding to State wildlife agencies and Indian tribes 
to address wildlife disease emergencies. 
SEC. 4. WILDLIFE DISEASE EMERGENCY FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
Treasury of the United States a separate account, which 
shall be known as the ‘‘Wildlife Disease Emergency Fund’’ 
and shall consist of— 
(1) such amounts as are appropriated to the 
Secretary for activities to address wildlife disease 
emergencies authorized by this Act; and 
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