I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9597 
To create a coordinated domestic wildlife disease surveillance framework for 
State, Tribal, and local governments to monitor and respond to wildlife 
disease outbreaks to prevent pandemics, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 15, 2022 
Ms. PORTER (for herself, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Mr. LOWENTHAL) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Re-
sources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Energy 
and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To create a coordinated domestic wildlife disease surveillance 
framework for State, Tribal, and local governments to 
monitor and respond to wildlife disease outbreaks to 
prevent pandemics, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Wildlife Disease Surveillance for Pandemic Prevention 
Act of 2022’’. 
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One Health Interagency Working Group established 
under section 8. 
(6) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(8) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States, the District of Columbia, and 
each of the United States Territories. 
(9) TASK
FORCE.—The term ‘‘Task Force’’ 
means the Disease in Wildlife Trade Task Force es-
tablished under section 5(b). 
(10) WILDLIFE.—The term ‘‘wildlife’’ means 
any animal that is not livestock or poultry (as such 
terms are defined in section 2(a) of the Packers and 
Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 183(a)). 
(11) WILDLIFE DISEASES.—The term ‘‘wildlife 
diseases’’ means any infectious disease of wildlife 
that can be transmitted, directly or indirectly, from 
an infected animal, host or vector, inanimate source, 
or other sources. 
(12) WILDLIFE DISEASE SURVEILLANCE PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘‘Wildlife Disease Surveillance 
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Program’’ means the program established under sec-
tion 5(a). 
SEC. 3. FUNDING FOR STATE AND TRIBAL WILDLIFE DIS-
EASE SURVEILLANCE. 
(a) PURPOSES.—The purposes described in this sub-
section are the following: 
(1) Monitoring wildlife for wildlife diseases. 
(2) Research and development of monitoring 
methods and technologies to detect and diagnose 
wildlife diseases. 
(3) 
Participating 
in 
information 
sharing 
through the Database. 
(4) The establishment and maintenance of pro-
grams, facilities, and workforce development pro-
grams to carry out the purposes described in para-
graphs (1) through (3). 
(b) WILDLIFE HEALTH ACTION PLAN.— 
(1) SUBMISSION FOR APPROVAL.—A State or 
Tribe may submit a wildlife health action plan, in-
cluding each of the following, to the Director in such 
form, time, and manner as the Director determines 
appropriate: 
(A) Descriptions of wildlife disease surveil-
lance actions proposed for monitoring wildlife 
disease in the full array of the State or Tribe’s 
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wildlife and priorities for implementing such ac-
tions. 
(B) Plans for adapting these wildlife dis-
ease surveillance actions to respond to new in-
formation or changing conditions. 
(C) Plans for managing a wildlife disease 
outbreak, including potential containment meas-
ures and appropriate biosafety and biosecurity 
measures. 
(D) A plan to coordinate with relevant 
Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments, 
institutes of higher education, and private orga-
nizations. 
(E) Procedures for reviewing such plan not 
less frequently than every 5 years. 
(2) APPROVAL PROCESS.—The Director shall, 
not later than 90 days after receiving a submission 
under paragraph (1), approve or deny such wildlife 
health action plan and, in the case of a denial, pro-
vide feedback to the submitting entity. 
(3) PILOT
FUNDING
FOR
WILDLIFE
HEALTH 
PLANNING.— 
(A) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director and 
the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
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shall jointly establish a program through 
which— 
(i) the Director shall provide grants to 
States with a demonstrated financial need 
or lack of institutional incapacity to de-
velop a wildlife health action plan under 
paragraph (1); and 
(ii) the Director of the Bureau of In-
dian Affairs shall provide grants to Indian 
Tribes with a demonstrated financial need 
or lack of institutional incapacity to de-
velop a wildlife health action plan under 
paragraph (1). 
(B) USE OF FUNDS.—A recipient may use 
grant funds received under this paragraph to 
develop a wildlife health action plan to be sub-
mitted under paragraph (1). 
(C) LIMITATION ON AMOUNT OF FUNDS.— 
(i) STATE FUNDS.—The Director may 
not distribute under subparagraph (A) an 
amount in any fiscal year that exceeds 20 
percent of the total amount of funds avail-
able for distribution to States under this 
section in such fiscal year. 
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(ii) FUNDS FOR INDIAN TRIBES.—The 
Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
may not distribute under subparagraph 
(A)) an amount in any fiscal year that ex-
ceeds 75 percent of the total amount of 
funds available for distribution to Indian 
Tribes under this section in such fiscal 
year. 
(c) DISTRIBUTION TO STATES.—The Director shall, 
in each fiscal year beginning after the date that is 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, distribute not 
less than $15,500,000 to the States with a wildlife health 
action plan for the applicable fiscal year approved under 
subsection (b)(1). In determining the allocation of such 
amount among such States, the Director shall take into 
account— 
(1) the land area of each such State; 
(2) the population of each such as determined 
in the most recent census; 
(3) the presence of any source of increased risk 
or occurrence of wildlife diseases affecting a State; 
and 
(4) the need to develop capacity to surveil wild-
life diseases in each State. 
(d) DISTRIBUTION TO INDIAN TRIBES.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Bureau 
of Indian affairs shall, in each fiscal year beginning 
after the date that is 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, distribute not less than 
$3,000,000 to Indian Tribes through a noncompeti-
tive grant program. 
(2) CRITERIA.—The Director of the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs shall, in consultation with Indian 
Tribes, establish criteria for the distribution of funds 
under paragraph (1). 
(e) PARTICIPATION
IN INFORMATION SHARING.— 
Each State, Indian Tribe, and grant recipient under this 
section shall participate in the Wildlife Disease Surveil-
lance Program and contribute wildlife disease data to the 
Database. 
SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director shall establish a 
grant program to provide grants to eligible entities for the 
purposes described in section 3(a). 
(b) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—The Director may 
not expend more than 3 percent of the amounts made 
available to carry out this section for administrative ex-
penses. 
(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For the purposes of this 
subsection, the term ‘‘eligible entities’’ means an entity 
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with expertise in carrying out the purposes described in 
section 3(a) that is— 
(1) an organization described in section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and 
is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of 
such Code; 
(2) an institution of higher education (as such 
term is defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)); 
(3) a part B institution (as such term is defined 
in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1061)); 
(4) a Tribal College or University (as such term 
is defined in section 317(d) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(d)); 
(5) a partnership of State, local, and Tribal 
agencies or governments that includes at representa-
tion from not less than 2 States or 1 State and 1 
Tribe; or 
(6) a partnership between entities described in 
paragraph (1) or (2). 
SEC. 5. WILDLIFE DISEASE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director, acting through 
the Wildlife Health Office of the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service and in consultation with the Director of 
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the United States Geological Survey, shall establish a pro-
gram to— 
(1) monitor wildlife disease threats to evaluate 
the risk posed by and impact of such diseases on the 
United States; 
(2) conduct research and development to create 
statistically supported sampling frameworks for 
broad-scale surveillance of wildlife disease threats; 
(3) conduct research on wildlife disease trans-
mission and on effective outreach to stakeholders to 
help manage wildlife disease; 
(4) conduct statistical modeling to understand 
and predict wildlife disease movement; and 
(5) develop testing protocols for samples sus-
pected of carrying wildlife diseases. 
(b) WILDLIFE TRADE TASK FORCE.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall, not 
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, establish the Disease in Wildlife Trade 
Task Force to carry out the following purposes: 
(A) Develop a comprehensive surveillance 
system of wildlife imports to the United States. 
(B) Perform risk analysis of wildlife dis-
eases. 
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(C) Perform data analysis relating to wild-
life disease surveillance. 
(D) Provide technical assistance to Fed-
eral, State, Tribal, and local governments car-
rying out wildlife disease prevention and en-
forcement with respect to the wildlife trade. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Task Force shall be 
composed of a representative of each of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) The United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service. 
(B) The United States Geological Survey. 
(C) The Secretary of State. 
(D) The Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development. 
(E) The Secretary of Homeland Security. 
(F) Such State and Tribal wildlife agencies 
that submit a request to the Secretary to par-
ticipate in the Task Force as do not exceed 1 
State representative per regions of the United 
States as identified by the Director and 1 Trib-
al representative per region of the United 
States identified by the Director of the Bureau 
of Indian Affairs. 
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(G) The Director of the Centers for Dis-
ease Control. 
(H) The Secretary of Agriculture. 
(I) The Secretary of Commerce. 
(3) REPORT.—The Task Force shall, not later 
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, submit to Congress a report on— 
(A) the available quarantine facilities for 
animals 
with 
wildlife 
diseases, 
including 
through public-private partnerships; 
(B) the sufficiency of such facilities to ful-
fill the purposes of this Act; and 
(C) legislative and regulatory recommenda-
tions, determined in consultation with the Advi-
sory Committee, to improve the availability of 
such facilities for Federal, State, and Tribal 
users. 
SEC. 6. WILDLIFE DISEASE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director shall establish 
the Wildlife Disease Emergency Response Program to— 
(1) provide and coordinate Federal incident 
command training, operations, and resources specific 
to wildlife health issues; 
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(2) support emergency containment and re-
search activities in response to wildlife disease emer-
gencies; and 
(3) establish and provide training to Federal, 
State, and Tribal agencies on animal welfare best 
practices during wildlife disease emergency planning 
and response activities. 
(b) FEDERAL WILDLIFE DISEASE EMERGENCY RE-
SPONSE FUND.—There is hereby established in the Treas-
ury an account to be known as the ‘‘Federal Wildlife Dis-
ease Emergency Response Fund’’ which shall be available 
to the Secretary for the purposes described in subsection 
(c). 
(c) AUTHORITY.— 
(1) DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY.—The Sec-
retary may declare a wildlife health emergency at 
the request of a Governor of a State or the head of 
a Tribal Government. During the period of such an 
emergency, the Secretary may— 
(A) use the authorities and the resources 
granted to the Secretary under Federal law to 
support State, Tribal, and local wildlife disease 
emergency management efforts relating to such 
emergency; 
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(B) coordinate emergency assistance (in-
cluding voluntary assistance) provided by Fed-
eral agencies, private organizations, and State, 
Tribal, and local governments relating to such 
emergency; 
(C) provide technical and advisory assist-
ance to affected State, Tribal, and local govern-
ments relating to— 
(i) wildlife health and safety meas-
ures; 
(ii) issuance of warnings of risks or 
hazards; and 
(iii) providing public information re-
lating to wildlife health and safety; 
(D) authorize Federal spending from the 
Federal Wildlife Disease Emergency Response 
fund established under subsection (b) to carry 
out the activities described in this paragraph or 
distributions of funds from such fund to States 
and Tribes to carry out such activities. 
(2) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of 
emergency costs for the activities described in para-
graph (1) with respect to 1 emergency may not ex-
ceed the lesser of— 
(A) 80 percent of such costs; or 
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(B) $3,000,000, or such amount as the 
Secretary determines appropriate if the Sec-
retary determines, in consultation with relevant 
Federal agencies with responsibilities relating to 
human health, that there is an immediate risk 
to human health or that no other source of as-
sistance is available to address such emergency 
in a timely manner. 
(d) WILDLIFE DISEASE EMERGENCY.—The term 
‘‘wildlife disease emergency’’ means the occurrence of a 
wildlife disease that has been identified by an appropriate 
State agency that— 
(1) is caused by— 
(A) a newly discovered pathogen; 
(B) a known wildlife disease that is ex-
panding its geographic range; or 
(C) a wildlife disease that is affecting a 
previously unaffected population of a wildlife 
species; 
(2) poses significant threats to the sustain-
ability of wildlife populations; or 
(3) poses a significant threat to ecosystem func-
tion, including ecosystem processes or resilience. 
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SEC. 7. CENTERS FOR STUDY AND DIAGNOSTICS OF WILD-
LIFE DISEASES. 
(a) APPLICATION.—Institutions of Higher Education 
may submit an application to the Director of the United 
States Geological Survey in such time, place, and manner 
as the Director determines appropriate to enter into a co-
operative agreement to operate a Center for the Study and 
Diagnostics of Wildlife Diseases. 
(b) CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION.—The Director of 
the United States Geological Survey, in consultation with 
the Interagency Working Group and the Advisory Com-
mittee, shall establish criteria for evaluation of applica-
tions submitted under subsection (a), including— 
(1) including laboratory capabilities; 
(2) strength of veterinary, public health, and 
ecology programs; 
(3) dedicated expert staff; and 
(4) working relationships with State agencies, 
Indian Tribes, and other key partners. 
(c) MINIMUM NUMBER OF CENTERS.—The Director 
shall, not later than 2 years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, approve not less than 3 complete applica-
tions submitted under subsection (a). 
(d) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—In approving ap-
plications under this section, the Director shall ensure 
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that the centers are geographically distributed across the 
United States. 
(e) PURPOSE.—Each center established under this 
section shall— 
(1) provide technical assistance to States and 
Indian Tribes to carry out the purposes described in 
section 3(a); 
(2) establish partnerships with local institutions 
of higher education to conduct surveillance and 
treatment of wildlife diseases and research, including 
relevant ecological research; 
(3) advance wildlife disease surveillance work-
force development; 
(4) develop, validate, and deploy diagnostic 
tests for wildlife diseases; 
(5) provide diagnostic services to Federal, 
State, and Tribal government agencies. 
SEC. 8. FEDERAL ONE HEALTH INTERAGENCY WORKING 
GROUP. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior, 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, the Sec-
retary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Agriculture 
shall establish the Federal One Health Interagency Work-
ing Group to strengthen One Health collaboration related 
to the prevention, detection, control, and response for the 
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prioritized zoonotic diseases and related One Health work 
across the Federal Government. 
(b) CHAIR.—The members of the Interagency Work-
ing Group shall rotate serving as Chair of such Unit at 
a frequency to be determined jointly by such members. 
(c) DETERMINATION OF AGENCY RESPONSIBILITY.— 
The Interagency Working Group shall determine the re-
sponsibilities of each member agency with respect to the 
surveillance and treatment of and research and develop-
ment programs relating to wildlife diseases. 
(d) PARTICIPATION
OF OTHER FEDERAL AGEN-
CIES.—The Interagency Working Group may invite a Fed-
eral agency with a mission related to the purposes of this 
Act to participate as a member in such working group. 
(e) UNIT COORDINATOR.—Each Federal agency that 
is a member of the Interagency Working Group shall ap-
point a dedicated coordinator to coordinate the activities 
of such agency with such working group. 
(f) COORDINATOR FOR SECRETARY OF INTERIOR.— 
The Coordinator appointed by the Secretary of the Inte-
rior under subsection (e) shall be a direct subordinate of 
such Secretary. 
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SEC. 9. WILDLIFE DISEASE SURVEILLANCE ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
the Wildlife Disease Surveillance Advisory Committee 
within the Department of the Interior. 
(b) APPOINTMENT
OF MEMBERS.—The Advisory 
Committee shall be composed of— 
(1) representatives of— 
(A) the Chairperson of the Association of 
Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Fish and Wildlife 
Health Committee; 
(B) the Director of the United States Geo-
logical Survey; 
(C) the Director of the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service; 
(D) the Director of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration; 
(E) the Director; 
(F) each of the regional Associations of 
Fish And Wildlife Agencies; 
(G) each of the Wildlife Disease Centers; 
and 
(H) Indian Tribes from each region of the 
United States identified by the Director of the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs. 
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