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1 1 (February 28, 2025)

handle is hein.crs/govespp0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 4Congressional Research Service 9Informing the aegislative debate since 1914 February 28, 2025 Farm Bill Primer: Animal Disease Management and Prevention The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that animal agriculture is expected to account for $272 billion of production by U.S. farms and ranches in 2024, 53% of the total value of U.S. agricultural products. Congress is interested in the health of these animals for economic and public health reasons. Animal and livestock diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), African swine fever (ASF), and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), can cause productivity losses, are difficult and costly to control, and can disrupt domestic supply and international trade in animals and animal products. For example, H5N1 virus, a subtype of HPAI virus, is widespread in wild birds globally and has been responsible for outbreaks in poultry flocks and dairy herds in the United States since early 2022. As of November 2024, USDA has spent over $1.4 billion on the current outbreak in poultry, including $1.25 billion in indemnity and compensation payments. USDA states that preventing an animal disease outbreak is more cost-effective than outbreak response and recovery. In the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 farm bill; P.L. 115-334), Congress created two animal health programs and increased funding for existing animal disease prevention and management activities (§12101, Animal Disease Prevention and Management). This In Focus summarizes these programs and provides policy options of possible interest as Congress considers authorizing the next farm bill. ackground USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for protecting and improving animal health in the United States. The Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA; 7 U.S.C. §§8301 et seq.) provides APHIS authority to restrict animal movement, destroy animals, and take preventive controls to eradicate diseases that threaten animal and public health. APHIS administers several programs at a cost of nearly $400 million annually to carry out these authorities, including species-specific programs for aquatic, avian, cattle, equine, and swine health, among others. The Section 12101 provisions of the 2018 farm bill amended the AHPA to establish and fund two new programs, the National Animal Disease Preparedness Response Program (NADPRP) and the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB). In addition, the 2018 farm bill authorized mandatory funding for the existing National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). Natona Animal Heath Laboratory Network Established in 2002, NAHLN is a cooperative effort among APHIS, USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. The current network comprises 64 federal, state, and university animal health laboratories located in 42 states. The laboratories provide animal health diagnostic testing to surveil and detect biological threats to protect U.S. animal health, public health, and the food supply. Each laboratory is approved for surveillance and testing of various animal diseases. For example, 48 laboratories are approved for FMD preparedness and surge testing, 60 are approved for avian influenza testing, 12 are approved for ASF and classical swine fever (CSF) active surveillance and disease investigation testing, 38 are approved for ASF/CSF disease investigation and response testing, and 31 are approved for chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance testing. In 2023, USDA estimated that network laboratories performed 430,500 diagnostic tests to support APHIS' animal health surveillance and response programs. From FY2020 to FY2024, NAHLN has invested $22.1 million to support 104 projects to increase diagnostic testing capacity, improve biosecurity, and increase disease preparedness. Natonal Anima sease Preparedness and Response Program The National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) is a collaborative effort between APHIS and state departments of agriculture, state health officials, land-grant universities, colleges of veterinary medicine, livestock associations, state emergency agencies, and Tribes. NADPRP implements projects that enhance prevention, preparedness, detection, and response to emerging foreign animal diseases and boosts efforts to keep them from entering and spreading in the United States. From FY2020 to FY2024, NADPRP awarded $54.4 million in funding for 256 projects with 77 cooperators (Figure 1). Figure I. NADPRP Awards by Topic, FY2020-FY2024 Training & Exerdses Outreach & Education $6.rV $6.2M Movement $5.5M State & Tribal Biosecurity $13.5M Preparedness -Aquaculture $1.6M Sheep & Goat 3D pVaccines $15.6M e ADT $1.OM >$1.0M Source: USDA, NADPRP Dashboard, December 2024. Notes: 3D = depopulation, decontamination, and disposal; ADT = animal disease traceability; Movement = animal disease movement

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