89S11085 KSM-D
 
  By: Guillen H.C.R. No. 11
 
 
 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, The New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that
  infests livestock and other warm-blooded animals, poses a serious
  threat to our livestock industry, food supply chain, and economy;
  and
         WHEREAS, A species endemic to Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican
  Republic, and parts of South America, Cochliomyia hominivorax
  resembles a common housefly in its mature form; infestations occur
  when the female fly deposits eggs on an animal's open wound or other
  vulnerable area; the emerging larvae burrow and feed on the
  surrounding tissue, causing serious injury and often death to the
  host; left untreated, a screwworm infection can kill an animal
  within two weeks and continue to spread to additional hosts; and
         WHEREAS, The United States battled screwworm infestations
  from at least the 1800s until the 1960s, when the pest was
  officially eradicated through the widespread release of sterilized
  flies into wild populations; however, the species has seen a
  resurgence in recent years, and its presence around 700 miles from
  the Texas border prompted the federal government to halt cattle
  imports from Mexico in May 2025; as of July 2025, it was only 370
  miles from the Texas border; and
         WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that
  Texas could suffer $1.8 billion in economic damage from a screwworm
  outbreak through livestock deaths, labor costs, and medication
  expenses; the consequences of such an event could ripple
  nationwide, straining the U.S. cattle supply and endangering the
  health of livestock as well as pets, wildlife, and even people; and
         WHEREAS, With experts sounding the alarm over the imminent
  arrival of the New World screwworm, federal intervention is
  urgently needed to protect Texas ranchers and minimize economic
  losses from this destructive parasite; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas,
  1st Called Session, hereby respectfully urge the federal government
  to take immediate action to curb the spread of the New World
  screwworm into Texas, including using existing resources to work
  with Mexico to further develop a plan to combat screwworms; and, be
  it further
         RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby respectfully
  urge the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to
  establish and provide funding for a screwworm control facility in
  Texas; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby respectfully
  urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve medications
  for treating screwworm infection; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby respectfully
  urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to approve
  pesticides for preventing and treating screwworm infection; and, be
  it further
         RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
  copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
  the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
  Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
  members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
  this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
  memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.