The Farm Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance and Rapid Response Act of 2023 has been introduced into the house (H.R.3419) and the Senate (S.1666).  The Act would increase appropriations for both the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) to $17 million and for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Counter-measures Bank (NAVVCB) to $150 million.  The National Animal Health Laboratory Network would receive $45 million.  Rep. (Dr.) Ronny Jackson (R-TX) stated, “The preventative investments made through this bill will ensure that the U. S. Department of Agriculture is able to safeguard our supply chain and mitigate the effects of foreign animal diseases if and when an outbreak occurs in the U. S. rather than playing catch-up after the fact.”

Senator Amy Klobuchar (R-MN), sponsor of the Senate version, commented, “When animal disease outbreaks hit, the impact is felt by farmers, rural communities and our entire food supply chain.”

The NADPRP and the NAVVCB were established as inclusions in the 2018 Farm Bill.  The proposed legislation would allocate resources to the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and will be critical for the early diagnosis of a foreign animal disease.  The president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Lori Teller, pledged the support of the AVMA to the Bill and urged Congress to provide necessary protection through the bipartisan Foreign Animal Disease Act of 2023.