Legislators introduced the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan Act on Oct. 28 in an effort to help prevent, detect and respond to animal diseases such as African swine fever and classical swine fever, which have appeared in recent years in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
This bipartisan bill, H.R. 10911, was introduced by Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) and Congressman Don Davis (NC-01). The legislation is also co-sponsored by Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02). It would formally establish a voluntary USDA regulatory program to be known as the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP) to certify that herds at pork farms and pig breeding facilities across the country meet strong health standards.
“With this legislation, we are supporting our Nation’s agricultural trade economy and helping to protect animal health, public health, and the security of our food supply by preventing future animal disease outbreaks,” Kaptur, a senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, says in a release. “We are also helping U.S. pork producers reach international markets, and, most importantly, we are protecting the economic livelihood of family farms, including those I represent across Northwest Ohio.”
Finstad believes this bill is “critical, bipartisan legislation” that will ensure pork producers in have the support and resources they need to prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks.
“As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I remain committed to ensuring our farmers and producers have the tools they need to succeed,” Finstad says.
This House bill complements a Senate measure, S. 4893, introduced earlier this year by Senator Jon Husted of Ohio and builds on a pilot program the swine industry launched several years ago with USDA funding and state animal health officials’ support. The legislation would formally authorize the program in Federal law, set funding levels for it over the next five years, and direct USDA to establish an advisory committee to recommend how the program should be administered.
The advisory committee says it would also study broader swine health challenges and recommend how the Federal Government can help the swine industry and states respond when problems arise.
“A voluntary US Department of Agriculture framework for animal disease monitoring and herd health certification can help farmers and allow for a more timely response to disease outbreaks in order to protect our economy and food supply,” says Congressman Don Davis (NC-01), a member of the House Agriculture Committee.
The legislation is supported by the Ohio Pork Council, whose representatives recently met with Congresswoman Kaptur to discuss the importance of preventing animal disease outbreaks and the success of the pilot program, and by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).
“On our farms, protecting pig health is a responsibility we take seriously every day,” says Jarred Black, Ohio pork producer and Ohio Pork Council President. “Disease preparedness also requires coordination across farms, state lines, and government agencies. Establishing permanent authority for US SHIP would strengthen that partnership. We thank Congresswoman Kaptur for helping move this producer priority forward.”
Funding and formalizing the US Swine Health Improvement Plan are key to strengthening the health of our nation’s swine herd, explains Pat Hord, NPPC President-elect and Ohio pork producer from Bucyrus, Ohio.
“A formal advisory committee will help ensure that producer and industry expertise inform US SHIP’s implementation and continued improvement, supporting a science-based approach to disease prevention and animal health,” Hord says.
Congresswoman Kaptur is working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to include this legislation in any final farm bill that may be negotiated and passed by the end of the year, according to a release. Kaptur also supports a pending rulemaking proposed by USDA to formalize the program in Federal regulations, which the legislation she has introduced would require be done by the Administration within one year.
