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.