This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to offer a contract to a covered institution (a land-grant or non-land-grant college of agriculture) to review the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program. The review must look at: how well the program prevents and reduces tick-borne illnesses in cattle; the benefits of the program for cattle producers and the burden of complying with program rules; the treatment protocols used; and the Federal and State funds used for the program in the most recent fiscal year, including funds for each research project. After the review, the Secretary must send a report to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees with the review results and recommendations for improving the program, including ways to reduce the compliance burden on cattle producers. The bill defines the Program as the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program run by APHIS in coordination with the Texas Animal Health Commission.
If you are a cattle producer, researcher, or state animal health official, the bill requires an independent review of the eradication program to assess its effectiveness, treatment practices, costs, and how hard it is for producers to follow the rules. The bill itself only requires a review and a report; it does not change program rules or funding by itself.
No publicly available information.
The bill calls for a formal review and report so Congress and USDA have information on program effectiveness, treatment protocols, funding, and producer burden. The bill also asks for recommendations to improve the program and reduce compliance burdens on producers.
No publicly available information.