119th (2025–2027)
S. 5253
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to prioritize research and education funding on tick-borne diseases affecting livestock, particularly those spread by the invasive Asian longhorned tick. The diseases targeted include bovine anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and a form of bovine theileriosis, which can cause severe illness, reduced productivity, and death in cattle, resulting in significant economic losses for beef and dairy farmers. The legislation emphasizes that many of these diseases currently lack approved vaccines or treatments in the United States, creating a need for better diagnostic tools, surveillance methods, and management strategies. Funding will support both research to develop new vaccines and treatments as well as extension programs to help veterinarians, state agriculture departments, and livestock producers recognize and prevent these diseases. The bill amends existing Department of Agriculture grant authorities under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to include emerging tick-borne livestock diseases as a research priority area.