Combating Pasture Mealybug Act

This bill would require the Secretary of Agriculture to begin a study within 90 days on how prepared the United States is to find, contain, and respond to the pasture mealybug, an invasive insect that damages grazing land and crops. The study would cover the insect's spread and detections, its economic impact on livestock and commercial crops, containment and control methods, surveillance and lab capacity, emergency response plans, research needs, and international cooperation. The Secretary would have to consult with farmers and ranchers, wildlife agencies, scientists, and state and local agriculture officials. Within 6 months, the Secretary would have to send a report with findings and recommendations to the House and Senate agriculture committees and make it public.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Monica De La Cruz Republican sponsor
• 19 cosponsors