Desert Locust Control Act
Bill: H.R.1079 | Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. (R-NJ)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Desert Locust Control Act
This bill requires the President to establish an interagency working group to (1) coordinate the U.S. response to the ongoing desert locust outbreak in the East Africa region and its impact on food security and political stability, including in the context of restrictions relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019); (2) review the effectiveness of regional and multilateral efforts to eradicate the desert locust outbreak; and (3) develop and implement a plan to control the desert locust outbreak.

To establish an interagency working group to develop a comprehensive, 
 strategic plan to control locust outbreaks in the East Africa region 
    and address future outbreaks in order to avert mass scale food 
   insecurity and potential political destabilization, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Desert Locust Control Act''.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States to prioritize efforts to 
control the ongoing desert locust outbreak in East Africa and other 
affected regions, mitigate the impacts on food security, economic 
productivity, and political stability, improve interagency coordination 
to prevent future outbreaks, and promote resilience in affected 
countries.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The United States Agency for International Development 
        reports that countries in East Africa are currently suffering 
        the worst desert locust outbreak in decades, which will devour 
        crops and pasture and destroy local livelihoods across the 
        region.
            (2) As of December 2020, the Food and Agriculture 
        Organization reported that there were 42 million people 
        experiencing acute food insecurity in East Africa, which 
        numbers are projected to increase if the desert locust outbreak 
        is not controlled.
            (3) The desert locust outbreak in East Africa, particularly 
        in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, is negatively impacting food 
        security, local livelihoods and economic productivity, and may 
        threaten political stability in the region.
            (4) Proactive investments now to control the desert locust 
        outbreak could reduce the need for a much larger United States 
        humanitarian response effort later, as well as support economic 
        and political stability and build resilience in affected 
        countries.
            (5) In order to optimize the United States response to the 
        desert locust outbreak, an interagency working group should be 
        established to develop and implement a comprehensive, strategic 
        plan to control the desert locust outbreak in East Africa and 
        other affected regions, mitigate impacts on food security, 
        economic productivity, and political stability and prevent 
        future outbreaks.

SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

    (a) Establishment.--The President shall establish an interagency 
working group to coordinate the United States response to the ongoing 
desert locust outbreak in East Africa and other affected regions, 
including the development of a comprehensive, strategic plan to control 
the outbreak, mitigate the impacts on food security, economic 
productivity, and political stability, and prevent future outbreaks.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The interagency working group shall be 
        composed of the following:
                    (A) Two representatives from the United States 
                Agency for International Development.
                    (B) One representative from each of the following:
                            (i) The United States Mission to the United 
                        Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture.
                            (ii) The National Security Council.
                            (iii) The Department of State.
                            (iv) The Department of Defense.
                            (v) The Department of Agriculture.
                            (vi) Any other relevant Federal department 
                        or agency.
            (2) Chair.--The President shall designate one of the 
        representatives from the United States Agency for International 
        Development described in paragraph (1)(A) to serve as chair of 
        the interagency working group.
    (c) Duties.--The interagency working group shall--
            (1) assess the scope of the desert locust outbreak in East 
        Africa and other affected regions, including its impact on food 
        security, economic productivity, and political stability in 
        affected countries;
            (2) assess the impacts of restrictions relating to the 
        coronavirus disease 2019 (commonly referred to as ``COVID-19'') 
        pandemic on efforts to control the desert locust outbreak and 
        mitigate its impacts and in exacerbating food insecurity;
            (3) monitor the effectiveness of ongoing assistance efforts 
        to control the desert locust outbreak and mitigate its impacts 
        and identify gaps and opportunities for additional support to 
        such programs;
            (4) review the effectiveness of regional and multilateral 
        efforts to control the desert locust outbreak and the 
        coordination among relevant United States Government agencies, 
        regional governments, and international organizations, 
        including the World Food Programme and the United Nations Food 
        and Agriculture Organization; and
            (5) not later than 90 days after the establishment of the 
        interagency working group under subsection (a), develop and 
        submit to the President and the appropriate congressional 
        committees a comprehensive, strategic plan to control the 
        desert locust outbreak, including a description of efforts to--
                    (A) improve coordination among relevant United 
                States Government agencies, regional governments, and 
                international organizations, including the World Food 
                Programme and the United Nations Food and Agriculture 
                Organization;
                    (B) ensure delivery of necessary assets control the 
                desert locust outbreak and humanitarian and development 
                assistance to address and mitigate impacts to food 
                security, economic productivity, and political 
                stability; and
                    (C) to the extent practicable, prevent and mitigate 
                future desert locust and other, similar destructive 
                insect outbreaks (such as Fall Armyworm) in Africa and 
                other parts of the world, which require a humanitarian 
                response.
    (d) Interagency Working Group Support.--The interagency working 
group shall continue to meet not less than semi-annually to facilitate 
implementation of the comprehensive, strategic plan required by 
subsection (c)(5).
    (e) Sunset.--This Act shall terminate on the date that is 2 years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, or at such time as there 
is no longer an upsurge in the desert locust outbreak in East Africa, 
whichever occurs earlier.
    (f) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 20, 2021.

            Attest:

                                             CHERYL L. JOHNSON,

                                                                 Clerk.