S. 759
One Hundred Eighteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty four
An Act
To authorize the National Detector Dog Training Center, 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 ‘‘Beagle Brigade Act of 2023’’.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL DETECTOR DOG TRAINING CENTER.
(a) INGENERAL.—There is established a National Detector Dog
Training Center (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Center’’).
(b) D
UTIES.—The Center shall have the following duties:
(1) Training dogs for the purpose of safeguarding domestic
agricultural and natural resources from foreign and invasive
pests and diseases.
(2) Training human handlers to successfully select and
train dogs for the purpose described in paragraph (1).
(3) Collaborating with relevant Federal agencies, including
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to safeguard domestic
agricultural and natural resources.
(4) Collaborating with external stakeholders, including
State departments of agriculture, local and county agricultural
officials, private sector entities, and other relevant non-Federal
partners.
(5) Ensuring the health and welfare of all dogs under
the care of the Center, including by ensuring access to necessary
veterinary care, adequate shelter, and proper nutrition.
(6) Providing opportunities for private adoption of retire-
ment-age trained dogs and dogs that do not complete training.
(7) Any other duties necessary to safeguard domestic agri-
cultural and natural resources from foreign and invasive pests
and diseases, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture,
acting through the Administrator of the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
SEC. 3. REPORT.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Administrator
of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, shall submit
to Congress a report that contains—
(1) a description of current and emerging threats to
domestic agricultural and natural resources from foreign pests
and diseases within the purview of the operations of the Center;
(2) an examination of the role that the Center plays in
the protection against foreign pests and diseases; S. 759—2
(3) a description of improvements needed in Federal pro-
grams to minimize threats from foreign pests and diseases
within the purview of the operations of the Center, including
strengthened coordination among the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and
other relevant Federal agencies;
(4) recommendations to strengthen the capabilities of the
Center in protecting against foreign pests and diseases; and
(5) recommendations to improve—
(A) the dog procurement procedures of the Center;
and
(B) private adoption opportunities for retirement-age
trained dogs and dogs that do not complete training.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.