This bill establishes a new Wildlife Health Coordination and Zoonotic Disease Program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to improve coordination between federal, state, and tribal agencies in detecting and responding to wildlife diseases that could spread to humans, livestock, or domestic animals. The program will employ six coordinators: one national coordinator, one tribal coordinator, and four regional coordinators (covering the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and West) appointed by regional wildlife associations. These coordinators will serve as liaisons between multiple federal agencies including the Department of Agriculture, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Department of Homeland Security, and will help states and tribes access funding for disease monitoring and research, share best management practices, and provide Congress with recommendations for improving coordination efforts. The bill authorizes $900,000 annually starting in fiscal year 2027 to fund these positions and operations. The legislation responds to concerns about the increasing frequency of disease outbreaks that jump from animals to humans, citing examples like avian flu and chronic wasting disease, and notes that rural and agricultural communities face heightened vulnerability to such diseases.
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