[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 745 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 745

Expressing support for the designation of the week of October 24, 2021, 
                  to October 31, 2021, as ``BatWeek''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 25, 2021

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, 2021, 
                  to October 31, 2021, as ``BatWeek''.

Whereas bats are vital to the sustainability of natural ecosystems, national 
        economies, and human health by controlling damaging insect pests, 
        pollinating plants such as fruits and vegetables, and dispersing seeds 
        to ensure healthy functioning ecosystems, and research suggests that 
        bats save 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, myths, and legends, and outreach and education about the 
        importance of bats are 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 a deadly fungus causing white-nose syndrome, a disease that has killed 
        millions of bats in North America, has now spread to 40 States;
Whereas the disease has been confirmed in 12 species of hibernating bats in the 
        United States and is the primary cause for the significant decline in 
        populations of several bat species, especially 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's participation 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 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 co-lead the multinational, multiagency North American 
        Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) which since 2015 has consolidated nearly 
        60 million records from 49 States, 8 Canadian provinces, and 10 tribal 
        organizations to monitor changes in North American bat populations;
Whereas the United States Fish and Wildlife Service maintains an agreement with 
        the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to administer the ``Bats for 
        the Future Fund'' to raise private funds to curtail the spread of white-
        nose syndrome and speed the recovery of bat populations; and
Whereas, in the past decade, the international response to white-nose syndrome 
        has made extraordinary progress to understand the disease, slow the 
        spread, and develop treatments that hold promise for defeating this 
        epidemic, and therefore it is critical for new public-private 
        partnerships to defeat the disease: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses support for the designation of ``BatWeek'';
            (2) encourages the observance of BatWeek 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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