Protecting America’s Herds Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9377 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9377

To establish a grant program for preparing and responding to New World
              screwworm outbreaks, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 18, 2026

   Mr. Vasquez (for himself, Ms. Davids of Kansas, Mr. Figures, Ms.
    Salinas, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Harder of
 California, Ms. Leger Fernandez, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Ms. Stansbury,
 Mr. Veasey, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Panetta, and Mr. Cuellar) introduced the
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To establish a grant program for preparing and responding to New World
              screwworm outbreaks, 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 ``Protecting America's Herds Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR PREPARING AND RESPONDING TO NEW WORLD SCREWWORM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Agriculture (in this section
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall establish a program to award
grants, on a competitive basis, to cooperative extension services to
prepare and respond to New World screwworm outbreaks.
    (b) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, a cooperative extension service shall submit to the Secretary
an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary determines appropriate.
    (c) Use of Funds.--A grant awarded under this section may be used
to--
            (1) train personnel of the cooperative extension service on
        New World screwworm identification, treatment, management,
        prevention, and reporting;
            (2) support livestock inspections, including the training
        of inspectors, for New World screwworm;
            (3) support producer education regarding New World
        screwworm through workshops, field demonstrations, outreach
        campaigns, and educational materials; and
            (4) support the provision of direct technical assistance by
        personnel of the cooperative extension service to livestock
        producers regarding prevention, monitoring, treatment,
        biosecurity practices, and reporting of suspected infestations
        of New World screwworm.
    (d) Priority.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall
give priority to cooperative extension services in States or Tribal
communities at elevated risk of New World screwworm introduction or
spread.
    (e) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary
shall coordinate with cooperative extension services, the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service, State animal health officials,
veterinarians, Tribal agricultural programs, and land-grant colleges
and universities conducting veterinary or agricultural research.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Cooperative extension service.--The term ``cooperative
        extension service'' has the meaning given such term in section
        1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and
        Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103).
            (2) Land-grant colleges and universities.--The term ``land-
        grant colleges and universities'' has the meaning given such
        term in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research,
        Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103).
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
        States, the District of Columbia, and the territories of the
        United States.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
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