Title: Chronic Wasting Disease Transmission in Cervidae Study Act
Policy area: Animals

Summary:
Chronic Wasting Disease Transmission in Cervidae Study Act
This bill requires the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to contract the National Academy of Sciences to study the predominant pathways and mechanisms of the transmission of chronic wasting disease in wild, captive, and farmed populations of deer, elk, reindeer, and moose populations in the United States.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3644 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3644

To authorize a special resource study on the spread vectors of chronic 
          wasting disease in Cervidae, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 15, 2018

   Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Jones, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. 
Johnson, Ms. Collins, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Thune, Mr. Enzi, and Mr. Manchin) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
           Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize a special resource study on the spread vectors of chronic 
          wasting disease in Cervidae, 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 ``Chronic Wasting Disease Transmission 
in Cervidae Study Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Academy.--The term ``Academy'' means the National 
        Academy of Sciences.
            (2) Cervid.--The term ``cervid'' means any species within 
        the family Cervidae.
            (3) Chronic wasting disease.--The term ``chronic wasting 
        disease'' means the animal disease afflicting deer, elk, and 
        moose populations that--
                    (A) is a transmissible disease of the nervous 
                system resulting in distinctive lesions in the brain; 
                and
                    (B) belongs to the group of diseases known as 
                transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, which group 
                includes scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and 
                Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture, acting through the Administrator of the Animal 
        and Plant Health Inspection Service.

SEC. 3. CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE TRANSMISSION IN CERVIDAE RESOURCE 
              STUDY.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall enter into an 
        arrangement with the Academy under which the Academy shall 
        conduct, and submit to the Secretary a report describing the 
        findings of, a special resource study to identify the 
        predominant pathways and mechanisms of the transmission of 
        chronic wasting disease in wild, captive, and farmed 
        populations of cervids in the United States.
            (2) Requirements.--The arrangement under paragraph (1) 
        shall provide that the actual expenses incurred by the Academy 
        in conducting the study under paragraph (1) shall be paid by 
        the Secretary.
    (b) Contents of the Study.--The study under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) with respect to wild, captive, and farmed populations 
        of cervids in the United States, identify--
                    (A)(i) the pathways and mechanisms for the 
                transmission of chronic wasting disease within live 
                cervid populations and cervid products;
                    (ii) the infection rates for each pathway and 
                mechanism identified under clause (i); and
                    (iii) the relative frequency of transmission of 
                each pathway and mechanism identified under clause (i);
                    (B)(i) anthropogenic and environmental factors 
                contributing to new chronic wasting disease emergence 
                events;
                    (ii) the development of geographical areas with 
                increased chronic wasting disease prevalence; and
                    (iii) the overall geographical patterns of chronic 
                wasting disease distribution;
                    (C) significant gaps in current scientific 
                knowledge regarding the transmission pathways and 
                mechanisms identified under subparagraph (A)(i); and
                    (D) for prioritization the scientific research 
                projects that will address the knowledge gaps 
                identified under subparagraph (C); and
            (2) review and compare science-based best practices, 
        standards, and guidance regarding the management of chronic 
        wasting disease in wild, captive, and farmed populations of 
        cervids in the United States that have been developed by--
                    (A) the National Chronic Wasting Disease Herd 
                Certification Program of the Animal and Plant Health 
                Inspection Service; and
                    (B) State wildlife and agricultural agencies, in 
                the case of practices, standards, and guidance that 
                provide practical, science-based recommendations to 
                State and Federal agencies for minimizing or 
                eliminating the risk of transmission of chronic wasting 
                disease in the United States.
    (c) Deadline.--The study under subsection (a) shall be completed 
not later than 180 days after the date on which funds are first made 
available for the study.
    (d) Data Sharing.--The Secretary shall share with the entity 
conducting the study under subsection (a) data and access to databases 
on chronic wasting disease under the jurisdiction of Veterinary 
Services Program of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
    (e) Report.--On completion of the study, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate 
and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives a 
report that describes--
            (1) the findings of the study; and
            (2) any conclusions and recommendations that the Secretary 
        determines to be appropriate.
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