HR-3457-119
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Sponsored by Barry Moore (R-AL)
What it does
This bill would establish a permanent feral swine eradication and control program under the Food Security Act of 1985. It would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to study feral swine damage, develop eradication and control methods, restore damaged land, and provide financial assistance to affected agricultural producers. The bill would allocate $150 million in mandatory funding over fiscal years 2026–2030, split 40% to the Natural Resources Conservation Service and 60% to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and would require contracts with eligible land-grant colleges and universities to support research and field operations. It would also repeal a prior feral swine pilot program established under the 2018 Farm Bill.
Who benefits
Agricultural producers in states with significant feral swine populations (particularly in the South and Midwest) who would receive financial assistance for on-farm trapping and control technology. Rural landowners and ranchers whose crops, livestock, and property are damaged by feral swine. Land-grant colleges and universities that would receive federal contracts for research. State wildlife agencies that coordinate with federal programs. Native ecosystems and the broader public through reduced disease transmission risk (feral swine carry diseases such as pseudorabies and brucellosis). Hunting and outdoor recreation communities that benefit from healthier ecosystems.
Who is hurt
Taxpayers who fund the $150 million mandatory appropriation. Existing feral swine control contractors or private pest management companies that may face increased competition from federally subsidized programs. States or producers not in designated "threatened areas" who would be ineligible for assistance despite potentially bearing feral swine costs. Land-grant institutions that do not meet the specific eligibility criteria (existing APHIS cooperative agreement, state-funded Wildlife Services program) and would be excluded from contracts.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that feral swine cause an estimated $2.5 billion in annual agricultural and environmental damage across 35 states, and that the existing 2018 Farm Bill pilot program was underfunded and lacked the permanent statutory structure needed for sustained population control. They contend that a coordinated federal-state-university approach — with mandatory funding, clear agency roles, and a 75/25 cost-share — is necessary because feral swine populations cross state lines and cannot be managed effectively by individual states or producers acting alone.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that feral swine management is primarily a state and local land-use issue, and that a $150 million federal mandate duplicates existing state programs and USDA Wildlife Services operations already funded through annual appropriations. They contend that the bill's eligibility criteria for land-grant contracts are narrowly drawn in ways that may favor specific institutions, and that mandatory spending on a wildlife control program — rather than discretionary appropriations subject to annual oversight — reduces Congress's ability to adjust funding based on program performance.
Constitutional context
Congress's authority to establish this program rests on the Commerce Clause (Art. I, §8, cl. 3), as feral swine damage to agriculture and interstate livestock disease transmission constitutes economic activity with a substantial effect on interstate commerce under the aggregation principle established in Wickard v. Filburn (1942). No significant constitutional tension is present; this is a straightforward exercise of Congress's spending and commerce powers over agricultural programs.
Checks and balances
The executive branch (USDA Secretary) gains new program authority and discretion to designate "threatened areas" and award contracts; Congress retains oversight through the mandatory funding cap, the 10% administrative expense limit, the 75% federal cost-share ceiling, and the requirement to coordinate through existing State technical committees.
Historical precedent
Section 2408 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the Farm Bill) established a feral swine eradication pilot program, which this bill would repeal and replace with a permanent, more broadly funded program.