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Committee agrees to place bird-flu vaccine resolution on next week’s agenda for drafting and vote
Summary
The Senate Committee on Agriculture briefly discussed a resolution urging federal or research action on avian influenza vaccines and agreed to schedule the measure for the next meeting for drafting and member review.
Committee members on April 25 discussed a short resolution seeking action on avian influenza (bird flu) vaccine research and asked the secretary for comment before deciding scheduling.
“Your resolution essentially calls or looks for a vaccine,” Anson Tebbetts, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, said after senators raised the issue. Tebbetts said USDA has proposed research partnerships and a recent USDA funding proposal aimed at poultry disease responses; he noted trade implications could complicate vaccine adoption for commercial flocks.
Committee members debated whether to proceed immediately with the resolution’s drafting and review. One senator said the proposed measure “seems easy” to move forward; another suggested waiting for a colleague named Steve to review the draft. After brief discussion the committee agreed to place the resolution on the agenda for the next meeting so members could review wording and witnesses before a vote.
No formal vote on the resolution occurred on April 25; the committee’s agreed next step was to have staff draft the bill form or resolution language, allow member review and then consider it at the following week’s meeting.
