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Vermont Senate urges federal agencies to speed avian influenza vaccine access for small poultry farms
Summary
The Vermont Senate read SR 14 for a second time and ordered third reading of a resolution urging USDA and CDC to create an avian influenza vaccine reserve and distribution system for small and medium poultry farms; committee sponsors said state poultry producers lack access to federal vaccine supplies.
The Vermont Senate on Monday read a resolution urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to expedite creation of an avian influenza vaccine national reserve and a distribution system targeted to small and medium-sized poultry farms, and ordered the measure for third reading.
Supporters told the chamber the resolution aims to address gaps in vaccine access for smaller producers and to signal state backing for steps that would protect flocks and local food supply.
Senator Ingalls, reporting for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, said the committee did not take extensive testimony but did hear from the state agriculture secretary, who "thought it was very fair and he supported it 100%," and that the committee also supported the resolution. The committee asked the full Senate to consider the measure.
The senator from Addison, who represents a district with several poultry farms, said small poultry farmers "don't have access to the federal avian flu vaccine" and that the resolution is a nonbinding expression of support intended to reassure those producers. "It's a resolution, so it's just us stating what we would like. It doesn't have the force of law," the senator said, adding that the measure would make poultry farmers "feel supported by the senate in their efforts to keep their flock safe."
The resolution text called on USDA and CDC to "expedite the establishment and implementation of an avian influenza vaccine national reserve and distribution system for small and medium sized poultry farms." The Senate ordered the resolution for third reading; the chamber did not take a final passage vote on the floor during the transcripted portion shown.
Background: supporters said the measure responds to recent outbreaks of avian influenza that have threatened commercial and backyard flocks and that smaller operations often lack the purchasing power or distribution channels larger producers use to obtain vaccine or other countermeasures.
The resolution is a statement of the Senate's position and does not impose new state regulatory requirements or appropriations; it asks federal agencies to accelerate planning and distribution to reach smaller operations.
