The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is urging quick passage of the Beagle Brigade Act of 2023. The Act, H.R. 1480 and S.759, was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. The legislation would provide permanent authorization for the USDA’s National Detector Dog Training Center.
NPPC notes this is important as safe and reliable food production is critical to the national and economic security the U.S., and the Beagle Brigade serves as the first line of defense for early detection at our nation’s ports of entry. They note this is critical in keeping foreign animal diseases like African Swine Fever out of the U.S.
The USDA National Detector Dog Training Center is located in Newnan, Georgia and is a vital program in training agricultural canine teams. This is why NPPC led over 50 agricultural and other organizations in supporting the Beagle Brigade Act’s reintroduction and urges Congress to pass the bipartisan bill quickly.
The bill was reintroduced by U.S. Representatives Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02), Drew Ferguson (R-GA-03), Dan Kildee (D-MI-08) and Adrian Smith (R-NE-03), along with U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA).
Learn more about NPPC’s efforts to prevent foreign animal diseases on their website.