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Texas: Governor Abbott Issues New World Screwworm Disaster Proclamation In June 2026

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TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME:

WHEREAS, the New World screwworm (NWS), also known as Cochliomyia hominivorax, is a parasitic fly primarily found in South America, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic; and

WHEREAS, NWS larvae infest and feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, including livestock and wildlife, which can cause serious and deadly damage to an animal; and

WHEREAS, NWS has spread from Panama into Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, Mexico, and now Texas; and

WHEREAS, on November 22, 2024, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Mexico notified the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) of a positive detection of NWS in Mexico; and

WHEREAS, on November 22, 2024, USDA suspended cattle and bison imports from Mexico after a positive detection of NWS in southern Mexico; and

WHEREAS, on February 1, 2025, USDA resumed the import of cattle and bison from Mexico after USDA and Mexico agreed to, and implemented, a comprehensive pre-clearance inspection and treatment protocol to ensure safe movement and mitigate the threat of NWS; and

WHEREAS, on May 11, 2025, USDA suspended live cattle, horse, and bison imports from Mexico after NWS was detected in Central Mexico, about 700 miles from the Texas border; and

WHEREAS, on June 18, 2025, USDA announced a five-prong plan to address NWS, including the launch of an $8.5 million sterile NWS fly dispersal facility in South Texas to aid in eliminating any presence of the pest in Mexico in close proximity to the U.S. southern border; and

WHEREAS, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of the State of Texas, on June 25, 2025, directed the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to establish a joint Texas New World Screwworm Response Team to lead Texas' prevention and response efforts, ensure that Texas remains informed, prepared, and aligned to prevent the spread of this destructive parasite, and to serve as "the central hub for coordination, information-sharing, and stakeholder engagement among state, federal, and industry partners;" and

WHEREAS, on July 9, 2025, USDA halted a phased channeling strategy for reopening ports for the importation of cattle, bison, and equines from Mexico and suspended all livestock trade through southern ports of entry after receiving reports of NWS in Ixhuatlán de Madero, Veracruz, Mexico—approximately 370 miles from the southern border; and

WHEREAS, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of the State of Texas, on August 15, 2025, alongside USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, announced a $750 million USDA investment in a new Domestic Sterile Screwworm Production Facility in Edinburg, Texas, with capacity to produce 300 million sterile flies per week to combat the northward spread of NWS; and

WHEREAS, on September 21, 2025, USDA reported a new case of NWS in Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo León, Mexico, less than 70 miles from the southern border; and

WHEREAS, on October 17, 2025, USDA released its NWS Response Playbook, which, in part, outlines strategies for federal, state, and local governments to coordinate response and communications related to NWS, and to prevent and contain outbreaks of NWS, including through NWS surveillance and management strategies; and

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WHEREAS, on November 21, 2025, USDA launched screwworm.gov to centralize NWS information across the federal government, including up-to-date information on verified NWS reports, official response activities taken in U.S. preparedness efforts, resources for livestock producers, veterinarians, animal health officials, healthcare providers, and the general public; and

WHEREAS, on January 29, 2026, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, issued, and renewed every thirty days thereafter, a disaster proclamation certifying under Section 418.014 of the Texas Government Code that the spread of New World screwworm threatened Texas' livestock industry and economy and posed an imminent threat of widespread and severe property damage for all Texas counties, and authorized the use of all available resources of state government to cope with this disaster, and allocated state resources to address the spread of NWS to the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team, headed by TAHC and TPWD; and

WHEREAS, on February 9, 2026, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, alongside USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, announced the grand opening of the Moore Air Base NWS Sterile Fly Dispersal Facility; and

WHEREAS, on May 27, 2026, the USDA Agricultural Research Service opened the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory to provide the U.S. cattle industry with innovative tools and advanced technologies to manage and eliminate invasive fly and tick pests that threaten the U.S. cattle industry in Kerrville, Texas; and

WHEREAS, as of May 29, 2026, more than 8,000 fly traps have been placed along the Southern Border, more than 58,000 fly samples have been tested, and more than 19,000 wildlife specimens have been inspected by state and federal partners; and

WHEREAS, on May 31, 2026, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins deployed an APHIS Strike Team to south Texas to enhance sterile fly release chambers, place additional traps, and engage in targeted outreach in high focus areas; and

WHEREAS, on June 3, 2026, NWS was detected in a three-week-old calf in Zavala County, Texas, and in response, USDA, TAHC, and Texas response partners initiated unified incident command operations, increased surveillance and trapping activities, and accelerated sterile fly releases to contain and eradicate the pest; and

WHEREAS, on June 3, 2026, TAHC also established a 20-kilometer infested zone with quarantine and movement controls for warm-blooded animals and carcasses in Uvalde and Zavala Counties; and

WHEREAS, TAHC, as the lead agency tasked under the Agriculture Code and Government Code with monitoring and combatting diseases and agents like NWS that could affect livestock, has met weekly with USDA to coordinate federal and state response efforts; and

WHEREAS, TAHC has participated in 294 speaking engagements with industry groups, local and state government officials, and the public to spread awareness of NWS, hosted veterinary specific education events, and reached approximately 455,000 individuals through digital platform initiatives; and

WHEREAS, the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team has coordinated state response plan priorities across wildlife and livestock sectors, has facilitated information sharing and notifications of key preparedness and current event announcements, and has strategized effective preparedness and response measures to safeguard Texans and maintain continuity of business while effectively responding to the threat posed by NWS; and

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WHEREAS, the recent migration of NWS into Texas presents an imminent threat or occurrence of widespread danger and injury to the Texas agricultural industry; and

WHEREAS, Section 418.011, Texas Government Code, statutorily empowers the Governor to meet "the dangers to the state and people presented by disasters"; and

WHEREAS, Section 418.004(1), Texas Government Code, defines "disaster" as "the occurrence or imminent threat of widespread or severe … loss of life or property resulting from any natural or man‑made cause, including … infestation … [or] other public calamity requiring emergency action"; and

WHEREAS, Section 418.014, Texas Government Code, authorizes "[t]he governor, by executive order or proclamation," to "declare a state of disaster if the governor finds… that the … threat of disaster is imminent"; and

WHEREAS, Section 418.012, Texas Government Code, authorizes the Governor to issue proclamations that have the force and effect of law; and

WHEREAS, Section 418.016, Texas Government Code, authorizes the Governor to "suspend the provisions of any regulatory statute prescribing the procedures for conduct of state business or the orders or rules of a state agency if strict compliance with the provisions, orders, or rules would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with a disaster"; and

WHEREAS, Section 418.017, Texas Government Code, authorizes the Governor to "temporarily reassign resources, personnel, or functions of state executive departments and agencies or their units for the purpose of performing and facilitating emergency services"; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, do hereby certify that the spread of NWS northward from Mexico into Texas threatens Texas' wildlife and livestock industry and economy and poses an imminent threat or occurrence of widespread and severe property damage, and pursuant to Section 418.014, Texas Government Code, do hereby declare a state of disaster for all Texas counties.

Pursuant to Section 418.017, Texas Government Code, I authorize the use of all available resources of state government and of all political subdivisions that are reasonably necessary to cope with this disaster, and temporarily reassign any such resources that could be allocated to address the spread of NWS to the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team, which shall prioritize such resources for Zavala and Uvalde Counties first.

Pursuant to Sections 418.012 and 418.016, Texas Government Code, any regulatory statute prescribing the procedures for conduct of state business or any order or rule of a state agency that would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with this disaster shall be suspended or superseded upon written approval of the Office of the Governor.  However, to the extent the enforcement of any state statute or administrative rule regarding contracting or procurement would impede any state agency's emergency response that is necessary to protect life or property threatened by this declared disaster, I hereby authorize the suspension or superseding of such statutes and rules for the duration of this declared disaster.

In accordance with the statutory requirements, copies of this proclamation shall be filed with the applicable authorities.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name and have officially caused the Seal of State to be affixed at my office in the City of Austin, Texas, this the 5th day of June, 2026.

GREG ABBOTT

Governor

ATTESTED BY:

JANE NELSON

Secretary of State

View the Governor's proclamation.

Filed Under: Government, State
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