Bill · S. 4451· Senate(119-S-4451)
Wildlife Health Coordination and Zoonotic Disease Prevention Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 4/30/2026
- Last activity
- 4/30/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Sponsored by
- Tammy Baldwin
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill establishes the Wildlife Health Coordination and Zoonotic Disease Program within the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The program is designed to be jointly administered by the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. It creates specific roles for a National Wildlife Health Coordinator, a Tribal Wildlife Health Coordinator, and four Regional Wildlife Health Coordinators. These coordinators will act as liaisons between various Federal, State, and Tribal agencies to manage wildlife and zoonotic disease threats. The goal is to improve coordination, communication, and capacity building regarding disease outbreaks. The act also authorizes annual appropriations to support these efforts.
Yes· 3 of 10
Would Native Americans be better off under this?+5
The bill creates a specific Tribal Wildlife Health Coordinator position to assist Indian Tribes with resources and disease management.
Does this make the country readier for the next outbreak?+5
The bill strengthens the ability to detect and respond to zoonotic disease outbreaks that could lead to public health emergencies.
Would farmers be better off under this?+4
Improved coordination helps protect livestock and the agricultural industry from zoonotic disease outbreaks.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Disease Coordination: The program aims to improve coordination among Federal, State, and Tribal partners regarding wildlife health issues and diseases with zoonotic potential (Section 4(b)(1)).
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Enhanced Communication and Planning: The bill seeks to support communication, planning, and capacity building to address national, State, and regional wildlife health concerns (Section 4(b)(2)).
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Support for State and Tribal Resource Access: Wildlife Health Coordinators are tasked with assisting States and Indian Tribes in accessing resources and applying for funding to address wildlife health and zoonotic disease issues (Section 4(c)(5)(C)).
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Sharing of Best Management Practices: Coordinators will develop and share best management practices, which may include guidance on disease surveillance, monitoring techniques, and public education (Section 4(c)(5)(E) and Section 4(c)(6)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts or burdens are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Native Americans+5Good For Farmers+4Good For Rural Residents+2Good For Low Income Households+1
- Healthcare
- Improves Pandemic Preparedness+5
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Economic Growth+2Increases Job Creation+2
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections+4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Border Security+1Improves Poverty Reduction+1
- 6/3/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/30/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Introduced in Senate
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado