Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program Enhancement Act
The Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program Enhancement Act requires the Secretary of Agriculture to arrange an independent review of the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program (CFTEP). The review must be conducted by a “covered institution” (either a land-grant college/university or a non-land-grant college of agriculture) within one year of the contract signing, and must evaluate how well the program prevents the spread of tick-borne illness in cattle, what benefits and burdens the program imposes on cattle producers, the treatment protocols used, and how federal and state funds (including research funding) support the program. Within one year after the contract is signed, the Secretary must deliver a report with the review results and recommendations to improve the program, including ways to reduce the compliance burden on cattle producers.
Key Points
- 1Establishes an independent program review: The Secretary of Agriculture must offer to contract with a covered institution to conduct a comprehensive review of CFTEP.
- 2Scope of the review: Evaluates program effectiveness in preventing/t reducing tick-borne disease in cattle; producer benefits and compliance burdens; treatment protocols; and the level and allocation of federal/state funding, including research funding tied to the program.
- 3Reporting requirement: A formal report to Congress (House Agriculture Committee and Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee) must be submitted within one year after the contract is signed, detailing the review results and recommendations for improvements, including reducing producer compliance burden.
- 4Defined eligible reviewers: “Covered institution” means either a land-grant college/university or a non-land-grant college of agriculture.
- 5Program definition and coordination: Clarifies that the Program refers to CFTEP carried out by APHIS in coordination with the Texas Animal Health Commission.