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Congressional panel spotlights National Animal Health Laboratory Network as funding increases
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Summary
Witnesses told the House Agriculture Subcommittee that the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) provides critical, standardized testing and surge capacity for outbreaks and that recent federal funding increases will help shore up personnel, equipment and IT at member labs.
The House Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry heard Tuesday that the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, or NAHLN, is a cornerstone of U.S. animal disease preparedness and that newly approved federal funds will strengthen the network. Chairman Mann opened the hearing by describing NAHLN as “the first line of our defense” and noting that the network has grown from 12 to 64 state and university laboratories since 2002. He said the recent reconciliation package included new investments for animal health programs, and that those resources come at a critical moment for the laboratories. The panel’s witnesses — Dr. Jamie Riedelik, director of the Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Kansas State University; Dr. Terry Hensley, assistant agency director at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL); Dr. Roger Maine, director of the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory; and Dr. Annette Jones, California state veterinarian and director of animal health and food safety services — described how NAHLN coordinates standardized methods, proficiency testing and weekly communications that let member labs surge testing and share results across state lines. "Standardized protocols and proficiency testing provide consistent, trustworthy, and high-capacity testing among all 64 NAHLN laboratories in critical disease events," Riedelik said, describing how her lab used network protocols and proficiency panels distributed by federal laboratories. Witnesses said NAHLN funding is used at member labs for equipment purchases, software and IT upgrades, service contracts, travel for training and exercises, and salary support for technicians and diagnosticians. Riedelik said the Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory employs about 120 staff, including about 25 faculty, and performs roughly 600,000 tests annually; Maine said the Iowa State lab handles more than 125,000 case submissions and 1,700,000 assays annually; Hensley said TVMDL runs almost a million tests annually. Panel members and witnesses discussed the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas, and its relationship to NAHLN. Riedelik said NBAF will serve research and service missions and that state diagnostic labs will interact with NBAF as they do now with federal confirmatory laboratories, including training and confirmatory testing. Committee members asked how recent federal funding will be applied. Maine said new recurring funds “will be of tremendous help” primarily by supporting the people who run the laboratories and by improving sustained preparedness. Hensley and Riedelik echoed that view, adding that base funding helps retain staff and maintain surge readiness. The hearing featured repeated calls for continued investment in lab personnel and infrastructure. Panelists emphasized that adequate staffing, consistent methods, and shared information across the NAHLN are the practical measures that permit rapid detection and coordinated responses to high‑consequence animal diseases. Less-critical details: witnesses noted travel disruptions for panelists and described routine outreach and training responsibilities for their university‑based labs.
