H.R. 10911: U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan Act of 2026

This bill would create a voluntary federal program called the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP) to help prevent and monitor diseases that can affect pigs. The program would be run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in cooperation with states and the swine industry.

What the program would do

• Set up certification programs for swine facilities that meet certain standards for:
  • biosecurity
  • traceability
  • surveillance for diseases
• Focus on diseases such as African swine fever and classical swine fever, while allowing USDA to add other swine diseases as appropriate.
• Cover a wide range of facilities, including breeding herds, farrow-to-finish operations, finishing facilities, boar studs, slaughtering facilities, live animal marketing operations, and other facilities USDA decides should be included.
• Create an advisory committee to study swine health problems and recommend ways USDA can help the industry address them, as well as advise USDA on how to run the program.

Rulemaking requirement

The bill would require USDA to finalize a previously proposed US SHIP rule within one year of enactment, taking into account public comments that were received on that proposal.

Funding

The bill would authorize $4.5 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out the program, with the money available until spent.

Practical effect

In plain terms, the bill would formalize and expand a federal-state-industry system for certifying swine operations that meet disease-prevention and monitoring standards. Participation would be voluntary, but facilities that join would need to comply with the program’s standards in order to be certified.

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