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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that |
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infests livestock and other warm-blooded animals, poses a serious |
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threat to our livestock industry, food supply chain, and economy; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A species endemic to Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican |
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Republic, and parts of South America, Cochliomyia hominivorax |
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resembles a common housefly in its mature form; infestations occur |
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when the female fly deposits eggs on an animal's open wound or other |
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vulnerable area; the emerging larvae burrow and feed on the |
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surrounding tissue, causing serious injury and often death to the |
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host; left untreated, a screwworm infection can kill an animal |
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within two weeks and continue to spread to additional hosts; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States battled screwworm infestations |
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from at least the 1800s until the 1960s, when the pest was |
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officially eradicated through the widespread release of sterilized |
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flies into wild populations; however, the species has seen a |
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resurgence in recent years, and its presence around 700 miles from |
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the Texas border prompted the federal government to halt cattle |
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imports from Mexico in May 2025; as of July 2025, it was only 370 |
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miles from the Texas border; and |
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WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that |
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Texas could suffer $1.8 billion in economic damage from a screwworm |
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outbreak through livestock deaths, labor costs, and medication |
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expenses; the consequences of such an event could ripple |
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nationwide, straining the U.S. cattle supply and endangering the |
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health of livestock as well as pets, wildlife, and even people; and |
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WHEREAS, With experts sounding the alarm over the imminent |
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arrival of the New World screwworm, federal intervention is |
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urgently needed to protect Texas ranchers and minimize economic |
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losses from this destructive parasite; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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2nd Called Session, hereby respectfully urge the federal government |
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to take immediate action to curb the spread of the New World |
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screwworm into Texas, including using existing resources to work |
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with Mexico to further develop a plan to combat screwworms; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby respectfully |
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urge the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to |
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expedite the construction of the planned screwworm control facility |
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at Moore Air Force Base in Texas; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby respectfully |
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urge the USDA to partner with Texas A&M AgriLife to create space in |
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the new screwworm control facility for research purposes; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby respectfully |
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urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expeditiously approve |
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medications for treating screwworm infection; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby respectfully |
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urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to expeditiously |
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approve pesticides for preventing and treating screwworm |
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infection; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the secretary of the USDA, to the commissioner of the FDA, to the |
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administrator of the EPA, to the president of the Senate and the |
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speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States |
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Congress, and to all the members of the Texas delegation to Congress |
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with the request that this resolution be entered in the |
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Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United |
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States of America. |