Tropical Plant Health Initiative Act

New grants for tropical plant health

If enacted, the bill would add a Tropical Plant Health Initiative grant program for research and extension under existing USDA authority. The grants would fund science-based tools and treatments against plant pests and noxious weeds that affect tropical plants. Covered plants would include coffee, macadamia, cacao, plantains and bananas, mangos, floriculture and nursery crops, vanilla, and other tropical plants the Secretary names. Allowed activities would include areawide integrated pest management, surveys and data collection, and biological, immunological, genomic, and bioinformatics research. The bill would also extend the program's authorization year from 2023 to 2030. The bill would not set any funding amounts.