Congress orders agriculture department to assess screwworm threat.
H.R. 3806 — New World Screwworm Preparedness Act of 2025 · Filed by Mónica De La Cruz (R-TX) · 18 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 6, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to study and report on U.S. preparedness against the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that infests livestock, wildlife, and rarely humans. The study must assess current threat levels, sterile-fly production capacity, surveillance systems, emergency response plans, research needs, and international cooperation—then recommend legislative and administrative improvements within 6 months.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a directed study and report on preparedness against a specific agricultural pest. It creates no new programs, appropriations, or regulatory authority—only a fact-finding and recommendation process.
What the text implies
- Study findings may inform future appropriations requests for sterile-fly production facilities or surveillance infrastructure, potentially creating budget pressure in subsequent fiscal years.
- International cooperation recommendations could lead to bilateral or multilateral agreements affecting trade, border protocols, or shared research funding with Mexico and other affected countries.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who it affects
The bill mandates a comprehensive assessment of biosecurity and disease-prevention infrastructure with no direct costs to citizens and potential long-term protection of livestock, food supply stability, and public health. It creates transparency and accountability by requiring a public report and stakeholder consultation.