108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2431
To establish a National Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force, 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, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Ms. BALDWIN, and Mr. PETRI) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition
to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To establish a National Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force, 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 Task Force Establishment
Act of 2003'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Chronic Wasting Disease, the fatal neurological 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 recent years necessitates an escalation in research, surveillance,
monitoring, and public education efforts to contain and manage this lethal
disease.
(2) The heads of relevant Federal agencies should provide consistent, coherent,
and integrated support structures and programs for the benefit of State
wildlife and agricultural administrators, as Chronic Wasting Disease can
move freely between wild cervids across the broad array of Federal, State,
tribal, and local land management jurisdictions.
(3) The Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the
heads of other affected Federal agencies need to better coordinate the activities
of their agencies related to control of Chronic Wasting Disease in wild
cervid populations.
(b) PURPOSES- The purposes of this section are the following:
(1) To establish a National Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force to coordinate
Federal, State, and tribal activities to address the environmental and economic
impacts caused by Chronic Wasting Disease on captive and wild populations
of deer and elk.
(2) To implement the plan published jointly by the Department of the Interior
and the Department of Agriculture entitled `Plan for Assisting States, Federal
Agencies, and Tribes in Managing Chronic Wasting Disease in Wild and Captive
Cervids', dated June 26, 2002.
(3) To enhance Federal, State, and tribal research concerning Chronic Wasting
Disease, and to promote the development of new diagnostic, surveillance,
monitoring, and screening methods and technologies.
(4) To increase public awareness concerning Chronic Wasting Disease among
the sport hunting community and the public at large through the implementation
of a national communications strategy.
(c) ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE- The Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16
U.S.C. 661 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
`SEC. 10. NATIONAL CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE TASK FORCE.
`(a) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established the National Chronic Wasting Disease
Task Force (in this section referred to as the `Task Force').
`(b) DUTIES- The Task Force shall--
`(1) coordinate activities to implement the National Plan in cooperation
with State, regional, local, tribal, college, and university and non-governmental
partners;
`(2) plan and host an annual national public conference to review progress
made in implementing the National Plan; and
`(3) develop an annual cross-cutting budget to specify sufficient levels
of appropriations necessary to implement the National Plan.
`(1) IN GENERAL- The membership of the Task Force shall be as follows:
`(A) The Secretary of the Interior or a designee of the Secretary.
`(B) The Secretary of Agriculture or a designee of the Secretary.
`(C) Up to 15 individuals appointed jointly by the Secretary of the Interior
and the Secretary of Agriculture from representatives of
State agencies, commissions, and boards, regional agencies, tribes, colleges
and universities, and non-governmental organizations.
`(D) The chairman and ranking minority members of each of the Committee
on Resources and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Committee on
Agriculture of the United States Senate.
`(2) REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS- The members of the Task Force appointed
by the co-chairs under paragraph (1)(C)--
`(A) shall not be officers or employees of the Federal Government;
`(B) shall be representative of the geographic distribution of the disease;
and
`(C) shall have outstanding knowledge or expertise of wildlife biology
and ecology, veterinary sciences and animal husbandry, wildlife management,
diagnostic and testing technology development, communications and media
development, or wildlife dependent recreation.
`(3) DEADLINE- The Secretaries shall complete appointment of members under
paragraph (1)(C) by note later than 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this section.
`(4) VACANCIES- Any vacancy in the members appointed under paragraph (1)(C)--
`(A) shall not affect the power or duty of the Task Force; and
`(B) shall be expeditiously filled in the same manner as the original
appointment was made.
`(d) CO-CHAIRS- The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture
(or their designees under paragraph (1) (A) and (B)), shall be co-chairs of
the Task Force.
`(e) COMPENSATION- The members of the Task Force shall receive no compensation
for their service on the Task Force.
`(f) TRAVEL EXPENSES- The members of the Task Force shall be allowed necessary
travel expenses in accordance with section 5702 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance
of services for the Task Force.
`(g) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT- Upon the request of the Task Force--
`(1) the co-chairs of the Task Force, acting through their designees, may
provide to the Task Force such administrative and technical support as is
necessary for the Task Force to carry out its duties under this section,
including services relating to budgeting, accounting, financial reporting,
personnel, and procurement: and
`(2) the head of any other appropriate Federal agency may provide to the
Task Force such advice and assistance, with or without reimbursement, as
is appropriate to assist the Task Force in carrying out its duties.
`(h) ANNUAL REPORT- Not later than one year after the completion of appointment
of the members of the Task Force, and annually thereafter, the Task Force
shall submit to the Congress a report--
`(1) describing the activities and achievements of the Task Force;
`(2) setting forth an annual plan and forecast for activities of the Task
Force scheduled for the following year;
`(3) a summary of new developments; and
`(4) a cross-cutting budget to support the activities of the Task Force.
`(i) NATIONAL PLAN DEFINED- In this section the term `National Plan' means
the plan published jointly by the Department of the Interior and the Department
of Agriculture entitled `Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agencies, and
Tribes in Managing Chronic Wasting Disease in Wild and Captive Cervids', dated
June 26, 2002.'.
END
