Feral swine eradication and control program

(a) Feral swine eradication and control program Chapter 5 of subtitle D of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839bb et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 1240M the following: 1240N. Feral swine eradication and control program (a) In general The Secretary shall establish a feral swine eradication and control program (in this section referred to as the program) to respond to the threat feral swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal health. (b) Duties of the Secretary In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall— (1) study and assess the nature and extent of damage to the threatened areas caused by feral swine; (2) develop methods to eradicate or control feral swine in the threatened areas; (3) develop methods to restore damage caused by feral swine; and (4) provide financial assistance to agricultural producers in threatened areas. (c) Assistance The Secretary may provide financial assistance to agricultural producers under the program to implement methods to— (1) eradicate or control feral swine in the threatened areas; and (2) restore damage caused by feral swine. (d) Coordination The Secretary shall ensure that the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service coordinate for purposes of this section through State technical committees established under section 1261(a). (e) Cost Sharing (1) Federal share The Federal share of the costs of activities under the program may not exceed 75 percent of the total costs of such activities. (2) In-kind contributions The non-Federal share of the costs of activities under the program may be provided in the form of in-kind contributions of materials or services. (f) Threatened area defined In this section, the term threatened area means an area of a State in which feral swine have been identified as a threat to agriculture, native ecosystems, or human and animal health, as determined by the Secretary. (g) Funding (1) Mandatory funding Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section $75,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2024, and $150,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2031. (2) Distribution of funds Of the funds made available under paragraph (1)— (A) 40 percent shall be allocated to the Natural Resources Conservation Service to carry out the program, including the provision of financial assistance to producers for on-farm trapping and technology related to capturing and confining feral swine; and (B) 60 percent shall be allocated to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to carry out the program, including the use of established, and testing of innovative, population reduction methods. (3) Limitation on administrative expenses Not more than 10 percent of funds made available under this section may be used for administrative expenses of the program. (h) Coordination and cooperation with a land grant university (1) In general The Secretary shall direct the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to enter into a contract with 1 or more land-grant colleges or universities to assist with the program in achieving its goals. (2) Eligible land-grant colleges and universities A land-grant college or university is eligible to enter into a contract under paragraph (1) if such college or university— (A) has developed and implemented a system of evaluating damages from feral swine and effectiveness of control efforts in response to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–334); (B) shows evidence of a strong working relationship with Wildlife Services in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; and (C) has maintained a State-funded, non-Federal Wildlife Services program that has an active cooperative agreement with Wildlife Services in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service within the structure of the Land Grant University System. (3) Role of the land-grant college or university A land-grant college or university that enters into a contract under paragraph (1) shall, as a condition on entering into such a contract, assist the program by acting as a strategic, neutral entity that is able to advance the program beyond the expertise of the Department to achieve the stated goals of the program by— (A) identifying and carrying out research on novel methods of feral swine control and land remediation; (B) assisting in establishing strategic areas for feral swine control based on data collected in response to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018; (C) coordinating and collaborating between field staff, programmatic staff, and research staff within the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; and (D) establishing and consulting with the Department on research goals and priorities in the program. (4) Funding Funding made available under (g)(2) shall be available to fund activities under this subsection, as determined by the Secretary. (5) Land-grant college or university defined In this subsection, the term land-grant college or university has the meaning given the term land-grant colleges and universities in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103).. (b) Repeal Section 2408 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 8351 note) is repealed. (c) Clerical amendment The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 is amended by striking the item relating to section 2408.

(a) Feral swine eradication and control program Chapter 5 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839bb et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 1240M the following: 1240N. Feral swine eradication and control program (a) In general The Secretary shall establish a feral swine eradication and control program (in this section referred to as the program) to respond to the threat feral swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal health. (b) Duties of the Secretary In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall— (1) study and assess the nature and extent of damage to the threatened areas caused by feral swine; (2) develop methods to eradicate or control feral swine in the threatened areas; (3) develop methods to restore damage caused by feral swine; and (4) provide financial assistance to agricultural producers in threatened areas. (c) Assistance The Secretary may provide financial assistance to agricultural producers under the program to implement methods to— (1) eradicate or control feral swine in the threatened areas; and (2) restore damage caused by feral swine. (d) Coordination The Secretary shall ensure that the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service coordinate for purposes of this section through State technical committees established under section 1261(a). (e) Cost Sharing (1) Federal share The Federal share of the costs of activities under the program may not exceed 75 percent of the total costs of such activities. (2) In-kind contributions The non-Federal share of the costs of activities under the program may be provided in the form of in-kind contributions of materials or services. (f) Threatened area defined In this section, the term threatened area means an area of a State in which feral swine have been identified as a threat to agriculture, native ecosystems, or human and animal health, as determined by the Secretary. (g) Funding (1) Mandatory funding Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section $75,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2024, and $150,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2031. (2) Distribution of funds Of the funds made available under paragraph (1)— (A) 40 percent shall be allocated to the Natural Resources Conservation Service to carry out the program, including the provision of financial assistance to producers for on-farm trapping and technology related to capturing and confining feral swine; and (B) 60 percent shall be allocated to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to carry out the program, including the use of established, and testing of innovative, population reduction methods. (3) Limitation on administrative expenses Not more than 10 percent of funds made available under this section may be used for administrative expenses of the program. (h) Coordination and cooperation with a land-grant college or university (1) In general The Secretary shall direct the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to enter into a contract with 1 or more land-grant colleges or universities to assist with the program in achieving its goals. (2) Eligible land-grant colleges and universities A land-grant college or university is eligible to enter into a contract under paragraph (1) if such college or university— (A) has developed and implemented a system of evaluating damages from feral swine and effectiveness of control efforts in response to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–334); (B) shows evidence of a strong working relationship with Wildlife Services in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; and (C) has maintained a State-funded, non-Federal Wildlife Services program that has an active cooperative agreement with Wildlife Services in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service within the structure of the Land Grant University System. (3) Role of the land-grant college or university A land-grant college or university that enters into a contract under paragraph (1) shall, as a condition on entering into such a contract, assist the program by acting as a strategic, neutral entity that is able to advance the program beyond the expertise of the Department to achieve the stated goals of the program by— (A) identifying and carrying out research on novel methods of feral swine control and land remediation; (B) assisting in establishing strategic areas for feral swine control based on data collected in response to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018; (C) coordinating and collaborating between field staff, programmatic staff, and research staff within the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; and (D) establishing and consulting with the Department on research goals and priorities in the program. (4) Funding Funding made available under (g)(2) shall be available to fund activities under this subsection, as determined by the Secretary. (5) Land-grant college or university defined In this subsection, the term land-grant college or university has the meaning given the term land-grant colleges and universities in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103).. (b) Repeal Section 2408 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 8351 note) is repealed. (c) Clerical amendment The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 is amended by striking the item relating to section 2408.