Tick-Borne Livestock Disease Research Prioritization Act

This Act may be cited as the “Tick-Borne Livestock Disease Research Prioritization Act”.

Congress finds that—

(1) ticks that parasitize livestock, including invasive species such as the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis), have been detected in an increasing number of States and counties in the United States and are recognized by the Department of Agriculture and veterinary experts as a growing threat to livestock health and productivity;

(2) tick-borne diseases of livestock, including bovine anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and bovine theileriosis caused by the emerging Theileria orientalis Ikeda genotype, can cause severe anemia, reduced weight gain, reproductive losses, and death in cattle, leading to substantial economic losses for beef and dairy producers;

(3) for several of those diseases, particularly those associated with the invasive Asian longhorned tick, there are no approved effective vaccines or treatments in the United States, and diagnostic and surveillance capacity is still developing, leading to the risk of underdetection and delayed response to outbreaks;

(4) veterinarians, State departments of agriculture, and livestock producers play critical roles in recognizing, testing for, and responding to tick‑borne livestock diseases and rely on current, research‑based guidance and extension support to protect herd health and support a safe, stable food supply; and

(5) strengthening research and extension activities focused on tick‑borne livestock diseases within existing high‑priority authorities of the Department of Agriculture is expected to improve early detection and control, help reduce economic losses from those diseases, and support the long‑term resilience of United States livestock production.

Section 1672(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(21) Emerging tick-borne livestock diseases.— Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of improving the prevention, diagnosis, and management of emerging tick-borne diseases in livestock, including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and bovine theileriosis caused by Theileria orientalis Ikeda transmitted by the invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis), through—

(A) research to develop and evaluate vaccines, therapeutics, enhanced surveillance methods, and integrated tick management strategies; and

(B) extension and education activities to support veterinarians, State departments of agriculture, and livestock producers in the recognition, testing, and prevention of those diseases.”.