# Understanding the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act

Chronic wasting disease is a fatal brain disease that spreads through deer, elk, and moose populations across North America. Think of it like a wildlife version of mad cow disease—once an animal gets it, the disease is always fatal. This bill creates a federal program to fight back by funding research and helping states manage outbreaks of the disease.

The bill sets up two main initiatives. First, it establishes a research program that will fund scientists and universities to study how the disease spreads, how to detect it faster in living animals, and whether some deer can be bred to resist infection. The government will award research grants ranging from 2 to 10 percent of the total funding available, with priority going to projects that could actually stop transmission or improve testing methods. Second, the bill provides direct financial assistance to state and tribal wildlife agencies to help them develop and carry out their own management strategies. If a state discovers the disease in a previously uninfected area, the federal government can immediately send emergency funds to help contain it before it spreads further.

The bill also requires the Department of Agriculture to review and improve the standards for certifying farmed deer herds as disease-free, with special attention to preventing captive deer from mixing with wild populations. Additionally, the government will develop educational materials to teach hunters and the public how to prevent spreading the disease. The bill authorizes $70 million per year from 2022 through 2028 for these efforts, split roughly equally between research and state management programs. Importantly, the bill makes clear that states still have the primary authority to manage wildlife in their territories—the federal government is providing support and coordination, not taking over.

Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act

Kind, Ron

Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address chronic wasting disease afflicting deer, elk, and moose populations. Specifically, the bill directs USDA to establish a program to research and manage the disease. Under the program, USDA must offer to enter into agreements with state or tribal wildlife agencies and departments of agriculture, institutions of higher education, and research centers to support research on the transmission of, resistance to, and diagnosis of the disease. In addition, USDA must offer to enter into agreements with such agencies and departments to support state and tribal efforts to develop and implement management strategies that address the disease. USDA must also develop and maintain materials to inform the public on chronic wasting disease and techniques to help prevent the spread of the disease. In addition, USDA must solicit public feedback on potential updates and improvements to standards of the chronic wasting disease herd certification program.