I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2430
To amend the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act to coordinate and strength-
en scientific research and monitoring, and to promote public outreach, 
education, and awareness, of Chronic Wasting Disease affecting free-
ranging populations of deer and elk, 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, and Mr. 
FALEOMAVAEGA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agri-
culture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act to coordi-
nate and strengthen scientific research and monitoring, 
and to promote public outreach, education, and aware-
ness, of Chronic Wasting Disease affecting free-ranging 
populations of deer and elk, 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 Research, Monitoring, and Education Enhancement 
Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE RESEARCH AND MONI-
TORING AND PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUT-
REACH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Fish and Wildlife Coordina-
tion Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 10. CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior, 
acting through the Director of the United States Geologi-
cal Survey, shall carry out in accordance with this section 
a program to support, conduct, and coordinate programs 
to strengthen scientific research and monitoring and pub-
lic education activities to elevate knowledge of Chronic 
Wasting Disease in free-ranging populations of deer and 
elk. 
‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the program shall 
be the following: 
‘‘(1) To initiate and encourage completion of 
the relevant goals and action plans specified in the 
National Plan. 
‘‘(2) To enhance the scientific understanding of 
Chronic Wasting Disease.
‘‘(3) To provide technical assistance in support 
of State efforts to conduct scientific research, imple-
ment wildlife management strategies, and conduct 
and promote comprehensive public education pro-
grams in affected States. 
‘‘(c) RESEARCH AND MONITORING.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may sup-
port, promote, and coordinate research on, and long-
term monitoring and surveillance of, Chronic Wast-
ing Disease as it affects deer and elk in States iden-
tified as having the disease present within their bor-
ders, to promote improved understanding of the dis-
ease and support State management of deer and elk. 
‘‘(2) 
AUTHORIZED
ACTIVITIES.—Activities 
under this subsection may include scientific re-
search, monitoring, surveillance, and disease man-
agement activities identified in the National Plan, 
including the following: 
‘‘(A) Research to investigate the biology, 
pathogenesis, host ecology, epidemiology, trans-
mission, and environmental persistence of 
Chronic Wasting Disease. 
‘‘(B) Development and utilization of an 
Internet-based biological data management sys-
tem and integrated information sharing net-
work. 
‘‘(C) Development, testing, and validation 
of rapid diagnostic methods. 
‘‘(D) Development of new testing and 
screening techniques for Chronic Wasting Dis-
ease, including live animal early detection field 
tests. 
‘‘(E) Surveillance programs to track the 
prevalence, 
incidence, 
and 
distribution 
of 
Chronic Wasting Disease in wild populations of 
deer and elk. 
‘‘(F) Research and development of thera-
peutics and vaccines. 
‘‘(G) Development and implementation of 
field sampling methods and comprehensive as-
sessments of deer and elk populations. 
‘‘(3) OTHER
ACTIVITIES
TO
IMPLEMENT
NA-
TIONAL PLAN AND SUPPORT STATE ACTIVITIES.—
The Secretary may implement other research and 
monitoring activities as necessary to implement the 
National Plan and to support State activities to 
manage and conserve deer and elk. 
‘‘(e) NATIONAL PUBLIC EDUCATION STRATEGY.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall develop 
and promote a national public education strategy—
‘‘(A) to increase awareness among the 
hunting community and the general public of 
the distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease; 
‘‘(B) to enhance comprehension of the biol-
ogy, ecology, and epidemiology of the Chronic 
Wasting Disease; and 
‘‘(C) to support and communicate State 
management activities to control Chronic Wast-
ing Disease in deer and elk populations. 
‘‘(2) GOALS.—The goals of the strategy are the 
following: 
‘‘(A) Increasing public awareness of Fed-
eral, State, and tribal Chronic Wasting Disease 
activities. 
‘‘(B) Distilling and disseminating to the 
general public scientific and technical informa-
tion concerning Chronic Wasting Disease in an 
easily comprehended manner. 
‘‘(C) Providing updates and reviews of ad-
vances in Chronic Wasting Disease control 
methods for deer and elk. 
‘‘(D) Development of print, video, and 
other interpretive and media materials to imple-
‘‘(1) CHRONIC
WASTING
DISEASE.—The term 
‘Chronic Wasting Disease’ means the transmissible 
animal disease that afflicts deer and elk and belongs 
to the group of diseases known as transmissible 
spongiform encephalopathies. 
‘‘(2) DEER AND ELK.—The term ‘deer and elk’ 
means—
‘‘(A) free-ranging populations of deer and 
elk residing in proximity of the endemic area 
for Chronic Wasting Disease as identified in the 
National Plan; and 
‘‘(B) deer and elk residing in States out-
side of that endemic area, where the disease has 
been introduced and established in deer and elk 
populations. 
‘‘(3) NATIONAL
PLAN.—The term ‘National 
Plan’ means the plan published jointly by the De-
partment of the Interior and the Department of Ag-
riculture entitled ‘Plan for Assisting States, Federal 
Agencies, and Tribes in Managing Chronic Wasting 
Disease in Wild and Captive Cervids’, dated June 
26, 2002. 
‘‘(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
rector of the United States Geological Survey.
‘‘(5) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means the sev-
eral States of the United States, Puerto Rico, Amer-
ican Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the ter-
ritories and possessions of the United States. 
‘‘(h) REPORT.—The Secretary of the Interior shall 
submit a report describing activities undertaken to imple-
ment this section to the Committee on Resources of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Environ-
ment and Public Works of the Senate by not later than 
1 year after the date of the enactment of this section and 
biennially thereafter. 
‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To im-
plement this section there are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary the following: 
‘‘(1) RESEARCH
AND
MONITORING.—For the 
implementation of scientific research and monitoring 
activities under subsection (d), $15,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2004 through 2009. 
‘‘(2) PUBLIC EDUCATION.—For the implemen-
tation of public education activities under subsection 
(e), $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 
through 2009.
‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATION.—For the administra-
tion of this section by the Secretary $1,00,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2004 through 2009.’’.
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