A bipartisan bill introduced to Congress this week would make significant investments in foreign animal disease response programs. Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon says the legislation’s goal is to “stop animal diseases in their tracks.” The funds would aim to safeguard against African Swine Fever.

The Foreign Animal Disease, Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act of 2023 would fund the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB), the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Todd Wilkinson says foreign animal diseases represent one of the greatest threats to national food security.

Read more on the new legislation here.