[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1446 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1446

Expressing support for the designation of the week of October 24, 2022, 
                 to October 31, 2022, as ``Bat Week''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 21, 2022

Mr. Welch (for himself and Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois) submitted the 
     following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                              Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing support for the designation of the week of October 24, 2022, 
                 to October 31, 2022, as ``Bat Week''.

Whereas bats are vital to the sustainability of natural ecosystems, national 
        economies, and human health by controlling damaging insect pests, 
        pollinating plants that produce fruits and vegetables, dispersing seeds 
        to ensure healthy functioning forests and fields, and saving farmers in 
        the United States more than $3,000,000,000 in pest control every year;
Whereas bats have captured the human imagination through backyard sightings, 
        folklore, art, myths, and legends, making outreach and education about 
        the importance of bats instrumental;
Whereas bats are present throughout the world, except in extremely cold regions, 
        and are the second-largest order of mammals with over 1,400 species;
Whereas white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has killed millions of bats 
        in North America, has now spread to 38 States and 12 species of 
        hibernating bats;
Whereas the disease has caused significant declines in populations of the 
        tricolored bat, the little brown bat, and the northern long-eared bat, 
        which is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
        (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
Whereas the Department of the Interior, through the United States Fish and 
        Wildlife Service, United States Geological Survey, National Park 
        Service, and Bureau of Land Management, is leading the international 
        response to the disease in partnership with the Forest Service and more 
        than 150 Federal and State agencies, Tribes, nongovernmental 
        organizations, and universities;
Whereas the United States Geological Survey and the United States Fish and 
        Wildlife Service colead the multinational, multiagency North American 
        Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) which, since 2015, has consolidated 
        nearly 68,000,000 records from partners in 49 States, 8 Canadian 
        Provinces, and 10 Tribal organizations, demonstrating the power of 
        collaborative conservation science to monitor changes in North American 
        bat populations;
Whereas the United States Geological Survey conducts scientific research on bats 
        that helps resource managers and policymakers make informed decisions 
        regarding the conservation of bats across North America; and
Whereas in the past decade, the international partnership of States, Tribes, 
        Federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and institutions has 
        made extraordinary progress to understand white-nose syndrome, slow the 
        spread, and develop treatments that hold promise for ending this 
        epidemic: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses support for the designation of ``Bat Week'';
            (2) encourages the observance of Bat Week with appropriate 
        events and activities;
            (3) acknowledges the important role bats play as 
        pollinators and pest control for agriculture; and
            (4) has the intent to--
                    (A) continue working to conserve bat species and 
                habitat; and
                    (B) work to defeat the disease known as white-nose 
                syndrome.
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