[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 177 (Thursday, October 26, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5217-S5218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 436--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF THE 
     WEEK OF OCTOBER 24, 2023, TO OCTOBER 31, 2023, AS ``BATWEEK''

  Mr. WELCH (for himself and Mr. Braun) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 436

       Whereas bats are vital to the sustainability of natural 
     ecosystems, national economies, and human health by 
     controlling

[[Page S5218]]

     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 
     40 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 endangered by 
     the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 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, the United States 
     Geological Survey, the National Park Service, and the Bureau 
     of Land Management, is leading the international response to 
     the disease in partnership with the United States 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 co-lead the multinational, 
     multiagency North American Bat Monitoring Program, which, 
     since 2015, has consolidated nearly 89,000,000 records from 
     partners in 49 States, 9 Canadian Provinces, and 19 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, non-governmental 
     organizations, and other institutions has made extraordinary 
     progress to understand white-nose syndrome, slow the spread 
     of the disease, and develop treatments that hold promise for 
     ending this epidemic: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (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) intends to--
       (A) continue working to conserve bat species and their 
     habitat; and
       (B) work to defeat the disease known as white-nose 
     syndrome.

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