[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4451 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4451
To support Federal, State, and Tribal coordination and management
efforts relating to wildlife disease and zoonotic disease surveillance
and ongoing and potential wildlife disease and zoonotic disease
outbreaks, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 30, 2026
Ms. Baldwin introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To support Federal, State, and Tribal coordination and management
efforts relating to wildlife disease and zoonotic disease surveillance
and ongoing and potential wildlife disease and zoonotic disease
outbreaks, 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 ``Wildlife Health Coordination and
Zoonotic Disease Prevention Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) zoonotic diseases are a significant threat to humans,
livestock, domestic animals, and wildlife, which is evidenced
by the fact that--
(A) more than 6 out of every 10 known infectious
diseases in human populations originated in animals;
and
(B) 3 out of every 4 new or emerging infectious
diseases in human populations originate from animals;
(2) zoonotic diseases are capable of transmitting between
animal populations, including wildlife, livestock, and domestic
animals, and human populations;
(3) the majority of recent emerging and transboundary
infectious diseases have originated in wildlife, such as the
ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak since 2022;
(4) zoonotic disease spillover events are occurring more
frequently, particularly due to globalization and increased
interactions between human and animal populations;
(5) risk exposure to zoonotic diseases across human
populations can vary, with rural and agricultural communities
and communities without healthcare experiencing increased
vulnerability;
(6) many zoonotic diseases of concern originate in wildlife
and livestock, which can be highly transmissible and spill over
into humans, domestic animals, and back into wildlife and
livestock, including--
(A) highly pathogenic avian influenza spreading
among poultry and wild birds to humans, dairy cattle,
cats, and wild mammals, among others;
(B) chronic wasting disease transmissions between
wild and captive deer and elk; and
(C) bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis between
ruminants and wildlife, which are also capable of
infecting humans;
(7) outbreaks of diseases in wildlife and livestock,
particularly those with zoonotic potential, have significant
adverse effects on the United States economy, with the ongoing
2022 avian influenza outbreak resulting in the Department of
Agriculture spending, as of February 2025, over $2,500,000,000
in indemnity payments;
(8) outbreaks of zoonotic diseases pose a significant
public health threat and may lead to a domestic or global
public health emergency;
(9) the Department of the Interior, Department of
Agriculture, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and
Department of Homeland Security play distinct but complementary
roles in the prevention, detection, control, and response to
zoonotic diseases that impact wildlife, livestock and domestic
animals, and humans;
(10) the Department of the Interior has a responsibility to
protect and manage Federal trust species, including by
monitoring wildlife populations and performing surveillance for
emerging wildlife diseases, including diseases with zoonotic
potential;
(11) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service is
responsible for disease surveillance, response, and management
of diseases that threaten wildlife and other animal populations
and humans;
(12) State fish and wildlife agencies exercise primary
statutory authority over the management of fish and wildlife as
public trust resources within their borders;
(13) the Department of Agriculture is primarily responsible
for safeguarding the health of livestock, developing and
conducting monitoring and surveillance for livestock diseases,
preventing the spread of pests and diseases that pose a threat
to the agricultural industry, and conducting wildlife disease
research and implementing a National Wildlife Disease Program
that focuses on wildlife disease surveillance;
(14) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the
leading public health agency responsible for--
(A) monitoring and responding to human health
threats posed by wildlife diseases and zoonotic
diseases; and
(B) conducting surveillance and research and
providing guidance to prevent and control the spread of
zoonotic diseases to and among humans;
(15) the Department of Homeland Security is primarily
responsible for securing borders to prevent the introduction of
wildlife diseases and zoonotic diseases;
(16) increased coordination and collaboration between
Federal, State, and Tribal agencies with respect to wildlife
disease and zoonotic disease efforts is necessary to adequately
monitor and respond to ongoing and potential disease outbreaks,
especially outbreaks that pose public health threats;
(17) there is critical need to support existing Federal,
State, and Tribal coordination and management efforts relating
to wildlife disease and zoonotic disease early detection,
surveillance, and research and management;
(18) greater permanence for Wildlife Health Coordinators as
intermediaries between the Department of Agriculture, the
Department of the Interior, State fish and wildlife agencies,
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would
facilitate communication, information sharing, and coordinated
efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to wildlife diseases
and zoonotic diseases;
(19) Wildlife Health Coordinators help address State agency
capacity nationally, including the interagency National Fish
and Wildlife Health Initiative with membership from the
Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior and
Tribal and State representatives; and
(20) coordinated efforts described in paragraphs (18) and
(19) are essential to protect public health, wildlife
populations, and agricultural interests from the impacts of
ongoing and emerging infectious disease threats.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(2) Livestock.--The term ``livestock'' has the meaning
given the term in section 10403 of the Animal Health Protection
Act (7 U.S.C. 8302).
(3) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Wildlife
Health Coordination and Zoonotic Disease Program established by
section 4(a).
(4) Wildlife health coordinator.--The term ``Wildlife
Health Coordinator'' means an individual appointed to a
position described in section 4(c)(1).
(5) Wildlife disease.--The term ``wildlife disease'' means
any infectious disease originating in wildlife that can be
transmitted, directly or indirectly, from an infected animal,
host or vector, parasitic insects, inanimate source, or any
other source to non-human animals, including wildlife,
livestock, and domestic animals.
(6) Zoonotic disease.--
(A) In general.--The term ``zoonotic disease''
means any disease that is transmissible between animals
and humans.
(B) Inclusion.--The term ``zoonotic disease''
includes any wildlife disease that can be transmitted
between animals and humans.
SEC. 4. WILDLIFE HEALTH COORDINATORS.
(a) Establishment.--There is established within the United States
Fish and Wildlife Service a program, to be known as the ``Wildlife
Health Coordination and Zoonotic Disease Program'', to be jointly
administered by the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service and the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service, to serve as a liaison between the Department of the Interior,
the Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the Department of Homeland Security, and other relevant
Federal, State, and Tribal agencies, as determined necessary by the
Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the
Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Program are--
(1) to improve coordination among Federal, State, and
Tribal partners on wildlife health issues and wildlife
diseases, particularly diseases that have zoonotic potential;
and
(2) to support communication, planning, and capacity
building efforts to address emerging and ongoing national,
State, and regional wildlife health concerns.
(c) Wildlife Health Coordinators.--
(1) Positions.--There are established in the Program the
following positions, to be appointed in accordance with
paragraph (2):
(A) 1 National Wildlife Health Coordinator.
(B) 1 Tribal Wildlife Health Coordinator.
(C) 4 Regional Wildlife Health Coordinators.
(2) Appointments.--The Wildlife Health Coordinators shall
be appointed in accordance with the following, using amounts
made available through grants, contracts, and cooperative
agreements provided with amounts made available to carry out
this section:
(A) The position of National Wildlife Health
Coordinator described in paragraph (1)(A) shall be
appointed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies.
(B) The position of Tribal Wildlife Health
Coordinator described in paragraph (1)(B) shall be
appointed by the Native American Fish and Wildlife
Society.
(C) The 4 positions of Regional Wildlife Health
Coordinators described in paragraph (1)(C) shall be
appointed by each of--
(i) the Western Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies;
(ii) the Midwest Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies;
(iii) the Northeast Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies; and
(iv) the Southeastern Association of Fish
and Wildlife Agencies.
(3) Regions.--The Regional Wildlife Health Coordinators
appointed under paragraph (2)(C) shall--
(A) serve 4 distinct regions in the United States,
including the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and West,
which shall be defined as each region represented by
the Regional Associations described in clauses (i)
through (iv) of that paragraph; and
(B) collaborate across those regions for unified
work.
(4) Qualifications.--A Wildlife Health Coordinator shall
have expertise in wildlife health, veterinary science and
medicine, epidemiology, or another related field.
(5) Duties.--A Wildlife Health Coordinator shall--
(A) establish relationships with relevant Federal,
State, and Tribal agencies to carry out the purposes of
this Act;
(B) facilitate information sharing about existing
and emerging wildlife diseases, including disease
threats to livestock and domestic animals, and zoonotic
disease outbreaks or emerging disease threats between
States, including State departments of agriculture,
environment, natural resources, fish and wildlife, and
public health and State animal health officials, Indian
Tribes, the National Animal Health Laboratory Network,
the National Wildlife Health Center of the United
States Geological Survey, the Department of
Agriculture, the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the Department of Homeland Security, and
other relevant Federal agencies, as determined by the
Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
and the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service;
(C) assist States and Indian Tribes in accessing
resources, including applying for funding, to work on
wildlife health and zoonotic disease issues, including
diseases--
(i) with potential to transmit between
wildlife and livestock or domestic animals,
especially in areas where wildlife has frequent
contact with livestock and domestic animal
populations; and
(ii) with zoonotic potential;
(D) coordinate--
(i) between States, including State
departments of agriculture, environment,
natural resources, fish and wildlife, and
public health and State animal health
officials, and Federal agencies; and
(ii) with other relevant entities engaged
in wildlife disease and zoonotic disease
testing, research, monitoring, surveillance,
and management activities, including entities
convened by the Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies;
(E) develop and share best management practices
relating to wildlife health threats and zoonotic
diseases prepared by the Department of Agriculture, the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, and State and
Tribal agencies between those Federal agencies and
State and Tribal agencies, including State departments
of agriculture, environment, natural resources, fish
and wildlife, and public health and State animal health
officials; and
(F) submit to Congress a report on recommendations
for improving interagency coordination and additional
resources necessary to address and prevent wildlife
diseases of concern and zoonotic disease outbreaks,
particularly diseases that threaten public health.
(6) Best management practices.--Best management practices
developed and shared under paragraph (5)(E) may include
voluntary guidance relating to the humane dispatch of animals
in the field, disease surveillance and monitoring techniques,
biosecurity and biosafety measures, public education, and other
information, as jointly determined necessary by the Director of
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the
Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $900,000 for fiscal year 2027
and each fiscal year thereafter.
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