H.C.R. No. 13

	HOUSE 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,
	2nd 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
	expedite the construction of the planned screwworm control facility
	at Moore Air Force Base in Texas; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby respectfully
	urge the USDA to partner with Texas A&M AgriLife to create space in
	the new screwworm control facility for research purposes; and, be
	it further
	RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby respectfully
	urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expeditiously 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 expeditiously
	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 secretary of the USDA, to the commissioner of the FDA, to the
	administrator of the EPA, 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.
	Guillen Kitzman
	McLaughlin Holt
	Cook Alders
	Ashby Barry
	Bell of Montgomery Bell of Kaufman
	Bonnen Buckley
	Bumgarner Button
	Cain Capriglione
	Craddick Cunningham
	Curry Dean
	DeAyala Dorazio
	Dutton Dyson
	Fairly Frank
	Garcia Hernandez Gates
	Gerdes Geren
	Harris Harris Davila
	Hayes Hefner
	Hickland Hopper
	Hull Hunter
	Isaac LaHood
	Lambert Landgraf
	Leo Wilson Little
	Lopez of Cameron Lopez of Bexar
	Louderback Lowe
	Lozano Manuel
	Martinez McQueeney
	Metcalf Money
	Moody Morgan
	Olcott Oliverson
	Orr Patterson
	Paul Perez of Harris
	Pierson Raymond
	Richardson Romero
	Schoolcraft Shaheen
	Shofner Slawson
	Smithee Spiller
	Swanson Tepper
	Tinderholt Toth
	Troxclair Vasut
	Villalobos Virdell
	Wharton Wilson
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.C.R. No. 13 was adopted by the House on
	August 28, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 131, Nays 0, 1
	present, not voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	I certify that H.C.R. No. 13 was adopted by the Senate on
	September 2, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 27, Nays 0.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED: __________________
	Date
	__________________
	Governor