On Nov. 15, Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Member Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming introduced the Chronic Wasting Disease Transmission in Cervidae Study Act.
Joining Sen. Barrasso in bipartisan support for the bill were nine original co-sponsors, eight of whom are CSC members, including Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and pairs with similar legislation H.R. 6272 introduced in the House earlier this year by CSC member Congressman Ralph Abraham of Louisiana. https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/6272/text
Since first identified in 1967, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been documented in both wild and farmed cervid populations in 25 states and several Canadian provinces. With new detections of CWD in both wild populations and farmed herds in areas that had previously been CWD-free this year, increased attention has been brought to the dearth of reliable data on CWD transmission pathways on which wildlife agencies can base their management strategies.
This legislation would address this void by requiring the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, to request a study by the National Academy of Sciences.
The goals of such study are multi-faceted and include identifying pathways and mechanisms for the transmission of CWD; identifying both anthropogenic and environmental factors that contribute to its spread; identifying gaps in current scientific knowledge and prioritizing future research needs; and reviewing the current best management practices regarding the disease.