[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1079 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1079
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To establish an interagency working group to develop a comprehensive,
strategic plan to control locust outbreaks in the East Africa region
and address future outbreaks in order to avert mass scale food
insecurity and potential political destabilization, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Desert Locust Control Act''.
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to prioritize efforts to
control the ongoing desert locust outbreak in East Africa and other
affected regions, mitigate the impacts on food security, economic
productivity, and political stability, improve interagency coordination
to prevent future outbreaks, and promote resilience in affected
countries.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States Agency for International Development
reports that countries in East Africa are currently suffering
the worst desert locust outbreak in decades, which will devour
crops and pasture and destroy local livelihoods across the
region.
(2) As of December 2020, the Food and Agriculture
Organization reported that there were 42 million people
experiencing acute food insecurity in East Africa, which
numbers are projected to increase if the desert locust outbreak
is not controlled.
(3) The desert locust outbreak in East Africa, particularly
in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, is negatively impacting food
security, local livelihoods and economic productivity, and may
threaten political stability in the region.
(4) Proactive investments now to control the desert locust
outbreak could reduce the need for a much larger United States
humanitarian response effort later, as well as support economic
and political stability and build resilience in affected
countries.
(5) In order to optimize the United States response to the
desert locust outbreak, an interagency working group should be
established to develop and implement a comprehensive, strategic
plan to control the desert locust outbreak in East Africa and
other affected regions, mitigate impacts on food security,
economic productivity, and political stability and prevent
future outbreaks.
SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.
(a) Establishment.--The President shall establish an interagency
working group to coordinate the United States response to the ongoing
desert locust outbreak in East Africa and other affected regions,
including the development of a comprehensive, strategic plan to control
the outbreak, mitigate the impacts on food security, economic
productivity, and political stability, and prevent future outbreaks.
(b) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The interagency working group shall be
composed of the following:
(A) Two representatives from the United States
Agency for International Development.
(B) One representative from each of the following:
(i) The United States Mission to the United
Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture.
(ii) The National Security Council.
(iii) The Department of State.
(iv) The Department of Defense.
(v) The Department of Agriculture.
(vi) Any other relevant Federal department
or agency.
(2) Chair.--The President shall designate one of the
representatives from the United States Agency for International
Development described in paragraph (1)(A) to serve as chair of
the interagency working group.
(c) Duties.--The interagency working group shall--
(1) assess the scope of the desert locust outbreak in East
Africa and other affected regions, including its impact on food
security, economic productivity, and political stability in
affected countries;
(2) assess the impacts of restrictions relating to the
coronavirus disease 2019 (commonly referred to as ``COVID-19'')
pandemic on efforts to control the desert locust outbreak and
mitigate its impacts and in exacerbating food insecurity;
(3) monitor the effectiveness of ongoing assistance efforts
to control the desert locust outbreak and mitigate its impacts
and identify gaps and opportunities for additional support to
such programs;
(4) review the effectiveness of regional and multilateral
efforts to control the desert locust outbreak and the
coordination among relevant United States Government agencies,
regional governments, and international organizations,
including the World Food Programme and the United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organization; and
(5) not later than 90 days after the establishment of the
interagency working group under subsection (a), develop and
submit to the President and the appropriate congressional
committees a comprehensive, strategic plan to control the
desert locust outbreak, including a description of efforts to--
(A) improve coordination among relevant United
States Government agencies, regional governments, and
international organizations, including the World Food
Programme and the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization;
(B) ensure delivery of necessary assets control the
desert locust outbreak and humanitarian and development
assistance to address and mitigate impacts to food
security, economic productivity, and political
stability; and
(C) to the extent practicable, prevent and mitigate
future desert locust and other, similar destructive
insect outbreaks (such as Fall Armyworm) in Africa and
other parts of the world, which require a humanitarian
response.
(d) Interagency Working Group Support.--The interagency working
group shall continue to meet not less than semi-annually to facilitate
implementation of the comprehensive, strategic plan required by
subsection (c)(5).
(e) Sunset.--This Act shall terminate on the date that is 2 years
after the date of the enactment of this Act, or at such time as there
is no longer an upsurge in the desert locust outbreak in East Africa,
whichever occurs earlier.
(f) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate.
Passed the House of Representatives July 20, 2021.
Attest:
Clerk.
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1079
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To establish an interagency working group to develop a comprehensive,
strategic plan to control locust outbreaks in the East Africa region
and address future outbreaks in order to avert mass scale food
insecurity and potential political destabilization, and for other
purposes.