House Agriculture committee gives due pass to bill naming Agriculture Commissioner as state contact for U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan

The House Agriculture Committee voted to give a due-pass recommendation on Senate Bill 2,085, which would authorize the Agriculture Commissioner to serve as the Official State Agency for the United States Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP). Representative Ridge moved the bill to a due pass and Representative Freiberg seconded; the motion passed with a recorded tally of 12 yes, 0 no, 2 absent.

The bill’s sponsor was presented at a committee hearing by Dr. Ethan Andrus, North Dakota state veterinarian, who testified on behalf of Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goring and the State Board of Animal Health. Andrus told the panel US SHIP is modeled on the National Poultry Improvement Plan and is an industry-driven entity funded with federal dollars to help states and industry coordinate responses and communications in the event of an African swine fever (ASF) or classical swine fever incursion. He said the program aims to create regionalized response plans and a private database to assist tracing movements of swine during an outbreak.

Why it matters: African swine fever is not a human health threat but can be devastating to pig populations and to international trade. Andrus warned that a confirmed case in the United States would prompt movement controls and large economic losses; he described ASF as highly contagious among pigs and said infected animals are typically euthanized. He and committee members discussed the risk that infected pork could survive in processed products and be fed to pigs, or that feral swine could spread infection if garbage from foreign vessels is left in ports.

Testimony and technical details: Andrus described US SHIP activities as including regionalization of response zones, development of tracing mechanisms for pigs on the move, and agreed protocols for temporarily restricting movement after a trigger. He said some companies are registering animals in a database so state and federal officials could receive private tracing data during an emergency while maintaining confidentiality under the program’s rules. Andrus estimated—off the top of his head—that "somewhere around 150,000 pigs" were registered in the US SHIP database (he attributed that number to participants in the program). He also told the committee North Dakota currently receives roughly $25,000–$35,000 per year in federal funds connected to US SHIP training and support; he said no state appropriation is required at present.

On vaccines and response options, Andrus told lawmakers there is not a proven, widely available ASF vaccine for U.S. use and that response would likely include depopulation of infected herds and rapid containment steps. Committee members compared ASF containment to responses for avian influenza, and asked about likely sources of introduction, to which Andrus cited cargo, cruise-ship garbage and movement of contaminated products as potential pathways.

Committee action and next steps: After hearing the testimony and Q&A, the committee closed the hearing and approved a due-pass motion on SB 2,085. The committee named Representative Ridge as carrier. The bill will proceed according to the legislature’s process.