Sec. 2. Findings
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Congress finds that— zoonotic diseases are a significant threat to humans, livestock, domestic animals, and wildlife, which is evidenced by the fact that— more than 6 out of every 10 known infectious diseases in human populations originated in animals; and 3 out of every 4 new or emerging infectious diseases in human populations originate from animals; zoonotic diseases are capable of transmitting between animal populations, including wildlife, livestock, and domestic animals, and human populations; the majority of recent emerging and transboundary infectious diseases have originated in wildlife, such as the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak since 2022; zoonotic disease spillover events are occurring more frequently, particularly due to globalization and increased interactions between human and animal populations; risk exposure to zoonotic diseases across human populations can vary, with rural and agricultural communities and communities without healthcare experiencing increased vulnerability; many zoonotic diseases of concern originate in wildlife and livestock, which can be highly transmissible and spill over into humans, domestic animals, and back into wildlife and livestock, including— highly pathogenic avian influenza spreading among poultry and wild birds to humans, dairy cattle, cats, and wild mammals, among others; chronic wasting disease transmissions between wild and captive deer and elk; and bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis between ruminants and wildlife, which are also capable of infecting humans; outbreaks of diseases in wildlife and livestock, particularly those with zoonotic potential, have significant adverse effects on the United States economy, with the ongoing 2022 avian influenza outbreak resulting in the Department of Agriculture spending, as of February 2025, over $2,500,000,000 in indemnity payments; outbreaks of zoonotic diseases pose a significant public health threat and may lead to a domestic or global public health emergency; the Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Department of Homeland Security play distinct but complementary roles in the prevention, detection, control, and response to zoonotic diseases that impact wildlife, livestock and domestic animals, and humans; the Department of the Interior has a responsibility to protect and manage Federal trust species, including by monitoring wildlife populations and performing surveillance for emerging wildlife diseases, including diseases with zoonotic potential; the United States Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for disease surveillance, response, and management of diseases that threaten wildlife and other animal populations and humans;
State fish and wildlife agencies exercise primary statutory authority over the management of fish and wildlife as public trust resources within their borders; the Department of Agriculture is primarily responsible for safeguarding the health of livestock, developing and conducting monitoring and surveillance for livestock diseases, preventing the spread of pests and diseases that pose a threat to the agricultural industry, and conducting wildlife disease research and implementing a National Wildlife Disease Program that focuses on wildlife disease surveillance; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the leading public health agency responsible for— monitoring and responding to human health threats posed by wildlife diseases and zoonotic diseases; and conducting surveillance and research and providing guidance to prevent and control the spread of zoonotic diseases to and among humans; the Department of Homeland Security is primarily responsible for securing borders to prevent the introduction of wildlife diseases and zoonotic diseases; increased coordination and collaboration between Federal, State, and Tribal agencies with respect to wildlife disease and zoonotic disease efforts is necessary to adequately monitor and respond to ongoing and potential disease outbreaks, especially outbreaks that pose public health threats; there is critical need to support existing Federal, State, and Tribal coordination and management efforts relating to wildlife disease and zoonotic disease early detection, surveillance, and research and management; greater permanence for Wildlife Health Coordinators as intermediaries between the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, State fish and wildlife agencies, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would facilitate communication, information sharing, and coordinated efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to wildlife diseases and zoonotic diseases;
Wildlife Health Coordinators help address State agency capacity nationally, including the interagency National Fish and Wildlife Health Initiative with membership from the Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior and Tribal and State representatives; and coordinated efforts described in paragraphs
(18)and
(19)are essential to protect public health, wildlife populations, and agricultural interests from the impacts of ongoing and emerging infectious disease threats.