managing, surveying, and monitoring the incidence 
of chronic wasting disease. 
(2) 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 months necessitates an escalation in research, 
surveillance, monitoring, and management activities 
focused on containing and managing this lethal dis-
ease. 
(3) As the States move to manage existing lev-
els of chronic wasting disease and insulate non-
infected wild and captive cervid populations from the 
disease, the Federal Government should endeavor to 
provide integrated and holistic financial and tech-
nical support to these States. 
(4) Relevant Federal agencies should provide 
consistent, coherent, and integrated support struc-
tures and programs for the benefit of State wildlife 
and agricultural administrators, as chronic wasting 
disease can move freely between captive and wild 
cervids across the broad array of Federal, State, 
tribal, and local land management jurisdictions.
(5) The Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary 
of Agriculture, and other affected Federal authori-
ties can provide consistent, coherent, and integrated 
support systems under existing legal authorities. 
TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF THE 
INTERIOR ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 101. NATIONAL DATABASE REGARDING CHRONIC 
WASTING DISEASE. 
(a) INFORMATION REPOSITORY.—The Secretary of 
the Interior, acting through the United States Geological 
Survey and using existing authorities, shall establish and 
maintain the official national database for—
(1) surveillance and monitoring data regarding 
chronic wasting disease in both wild and captive 
cervid populations and other wildlife that is collected 
by the Department of the Interior, the Department 
of Agriculture, other Federal agencies, foreign gov-
ernments, Indian tribes, and State agencies assisted 
under this Act; and 
(2) other relevant information regarding chronic 
wasting disease received from other sources, includ-
ing cooperation with foreign governments. 
(b) INFORMATION SOURCE.—The national database 
shall be available as a resource for—
(1) Federal and State agencies, Indian tribes, 
and foreign governments attempting to manage and 
control chronic wasting disease; 
(2) institutions of higher education and other 
public or private research entities conducting re-
search regarding chronic wasting disease; and 
(3) cooperating international wildlife authori-
ties. 
(c) RELATIONSHIP
TO
DEPARTMENT
OF
AGRI-
CULTURE INFORMATION COLLECTION.—The data col-
lected by the Department of Agriculture under title II 
shall be placed in the national database. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the 
Interior $1,500,000 to establish and maintain the national 
database. Funds appropriated pursuant to this authoriza-
tion of appropriations shall remain available until ex-
pended. 
SEC. 102. SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING PROGRAM RE-
GARDING PRESENCE OF CHRONIC WASTING 
DISEASE IN WILD HERDS OF DEER AND ELK. 
(a) PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.—Using existing au-
thorities, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 
United States Geological Survey, shall develop a national 
surveillance and monitoring program to identify—
(1) the rate of chronic wasting disease infection 
in wild herds of deer and elk;
(2) the cause and extent of the spread of the 
disease; and 
(3) potential reservoirs of infection and vectors 
promoting the spread of the disease. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior shall provide financial and technical assistance to 
States and Indian tribes to implement the surveillance and 
monitoring program for wild herds. 
(c) COOPERATION.—In developing the surveillance 
and monitoring program for wild herds, the Secretary of 
the Interior shall consult and cooperate with State and 
tribal agencies responsible for managing and controlling 
chronic wasting disease. 
(d) COORDINATION.—The Secretary of the Interior, 
in cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall es-
tablish uniform standards for the collection and assess-
ment of samples and data derived from the surveillance 
and monitoring program. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the 
Interior $3,000,000 to establish and support the surveil-
lance and monitoring program. Funds appropriated pursu-
ant to this authorization of appropriations shall remain 
available until expended. 
SEC. 103. SUPPORT FOR STATE EFFORTS TO MANAGE AND 
CONTROL CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE. 
(a) AVAILABILITY OF ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 
of the Interior, acting through the United States Geologi-
cal Survey, shall allocate funds appropriated to carry out 
this section directly to the State or tribal agency respon-
sible for wildlife management for a State or Indian tribe 
that petitions the Secretary for a portion of such funds 
to develop and implement management strategies to ad-
dress chronic wasting disease on lands administered by the 
State or Indian tribe. 
(b) FUNDING
PRIORITIES.—In determining the 
amounts to be allocated to States and Indian tribes under 
subsection (a), the Secretary of the Interior shall give pri-
ority to States and Indian tribes based on the following 
criteria: 
(1) Relative scope of incidence of chronic wast-
ing disease on lands administered by the State or 
Indian tribe, with priority given to those States and 
Indian tribes with the highest incidence of the dis-
ease. 
(2) State or tribal expenditures on chronic 
wasting disease management, monitoring, surveil-
lance, and research, with priority given to those 
States and Indian tribes that have shown the great-
est financial commitment to managing, monitoring, 
surveying, and researching chronic wasting disease. 
(3) Comprehensive and integrated State or trib-
al policies and programs focused on chronic wasting 
disease management between involved State or tribal 
wildlife and agricultural agencies, with priority given 
to those States and Indian tribes that have inte-
grated the programs and policies of all involved 
agencies related to chronic wasting disease manage-
ment. 
(4) Rapid response to new outbreaks of chronic 
wasting disease, whether occurring in areas in which 
chronic wasting disease is already found or areas 
with first infections, with the intent of containing 
the disease in any new area of infection. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the 
Interior $10,000,000 to support State and tribal efforts 
to manage and control chronic wasting disease. Funds ap-
propriated pursuant to this authorization of appropria-
tions shall remain available until expended.
SEC. 104. EXPANSION OF UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL 
SURVEY RESEARCH. 
(a) EXPANSION.—The Secretary of Interior, acting 
through the United States Geological Survey, shall expand 
and accelerate research on chronic wasting disease, includ-
ing research regarding detection of chronic wasting dis-
ease, genetic resistance, tissue studies, and environmental 
studies. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the 
Interior $3,000,000 to carry out subsection (a). Funds ap-
propriated pursuant to this authorization of appropria-
tions shall remain available until expended. 
TITLE II—DEPARTMENT OF 
AGRICULTURE ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 201. SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING PROGRAM RE-
GARDING PRESENCE OF CHRONIC WASTING 
DISEASE IN CAPTIVE HERDS OF DEER AND 
ELK. 
(a) PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.—The Secretary of Ag-
riculture, acting through the Animal and Plant Health In-
spection Service, shall develop a surveillance and moni-
toring program to identify—
(1) the rate of chronic wasting disease infection 
in captive herds of deer and elk;
SEC. 202. EXPANSION OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTING CAPACITY. 
(a) PURPOSE.—Diagnostic testing of samples col-
lected under the surveillance and monitoring programs re-
garding chronic wasting disease conducted by the Federal 
Government and States and Indian tribes, including the
programs required by sections 102 and 201, will continue 
to be conducted by National Veterinary Services Labora-
tories of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
and laboratories approved by the National Veterinary 
Services Laboratories, but current laboratory capacity is 
inadequate to process the anticipated sample load. 
(b) UPGRADING OF FEDERAL FACILITIES.—The Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall provide for the upgrading of 
Federal laboratories to facilitate the timely processing of 
samples from the surveillance and monitoring programs 
required by sections 102 and 201 and related epidemiolog-
ical investigation in response to the results of such proc-
essing. 
(c) UPGRADING
OF CERTIFIED LABORATORIES.—
Using the grant authority provided under section 2(d) of 
the Competitive, Special and Facilities Research Grant 
Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(d)), the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
make grants to provide for the upgrading of laboratories 
to be certified by the Secretary to facilitate the timely 
processing of samples from the surveillance and moni-
toring programs required by sections 102 and 201 and re-
lated epidemiological investigation in response to the re-
sults of such processing. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agri-
culture $2,500,000 to carry out this section. Funds appro-
priated pursuant to this authorization of appropriations 
shall remain available until expended. 
SEC. 203. EXPANSION OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERV-
ICE RESEARCH. 
(a) EXPANSION.—The Secretary of Agriculture, act-
ing through the Agricultural Research Service, shall ex-
pand and accelerate research on chronic wasting disease, 
including research regarding detection of chronic wasting 
disease, genetic resistance, tissue studies, and environ-
mental studies. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agri-
culture $1,000,000 to carry out subsection (a). Funds ap-
propriated pursuant to this authorization of appropria-
tions shall remain available until expended. 
SEC. 204. EXPANSION OF COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, 
EDUCATION AND EXTENSION SERVICE SUP-
PORTED RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. 
(a) RESEARCH EFFORTS.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture, acting through the Cooperative State Research,
Education and Extension Service, shall expand the grant 
program regarding research on chronic wasting disease. 
(b) EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS.—The Secretary of Ag-
riculture shall provide educational outreach regarding 
chronic wasting disease to the general public, industry and 
conservation organizations, hunters, and interested sci-
entific and regulatory communities. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agri-
culture $4,000,000 to carry out this section. Of the funds 
so appropriated, 75 percent shall be used to carry out sub-
section (a) and 25 percent shall be used to carry out sub-
section (b). Funds appropriated pursuant to this author-
ization of appropriations shall remain available until ex-
pended. 
TITLE III—GENERAL 
PROVISIONS 
SEC. 301. RULEMAKING. 
(a) JOINT RULEMAKING.—To ensure that the sur-
veillance and monitoring programs and research programs 
required by this Act are compatible and that information 
collection is carried out in a manner suitable for inclusion 
in the national database required by section 101, the Sec-
retary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 
shall jointly promulgate rules to implement this Act.
(b) PROCEDURE.—Due to the serious consequences 
of an unchecked chronic wasting disease epidemic, prompt 
implementation of this Act is required. The promulgation 
of the rules under subsection (a) shall be made without 
regard to—
(1) chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code 
(commonly known as the ‘‘Paperwork Reduction 
Act’’); 
(2) the Statement of Policy of the Secretary of 
Agriculture effective July 24, 1971 (36 Fed. Reg. 
13804), relating to notices of proposed rulemaking 
and public participation in rulemaking; and 
(3) the notice and comment provisions of sec-
tion 553 of title 5, United States Code. 
(c) CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW
OF AGENCY RULE-
MAKING.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary of 
the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall use the 
authority provided under section 808 of title 5, United 
States Code. 
(d) RELATION TO OTHER RULEMAKING.—The re-
quirement for joint rulemaking shall not be construed to 
require any delay in the promulgation by the Secretary 
of Agriculture of rules regarding the interstate transpor-
tation of captive deer or elk or any other rule by the Sec-
retary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior re-
garding chronic wasting disease proposed before the date 
of the enactment of this Act.
Æ