Sen. Ossoff Pushing to Protect Georgia’s Agriculture from Invasive Species

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is working to protect Georgia farms from pests and diseases.

Today, Sen. Ossoff launched a push to pass the bipartisan Beagle Brigade Act of 2023, legislation he co-sponsored to make permanent the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s National Detector Dog Training Center in Newnan, Georgia.

The center trains the Beagle Brigade, dogs trained by the USDA to detect foreign pests and diseases that threaten the domestic agriculture industry across the country. The training center has operated in Newnan for years, but the center itself is not explicitly authorized by Congress.

The bipartisan bill, which was introduced last year by Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock and Joni Ernst (R-IA), would formally authorize the training center.

"This bipartisan bill will help protect Georgia agriculture from invasive species and dangerous diseases. Georgia's National Detector Dog Training Center is a world-class facility that helps protect our state from threats to our farms and our health," Sen. Ossoff said.

Sen. Ossoff continues working to protect and strengthen Georgia's agricultural industry.

Earlier this month, Sen. Ossoff announced he is delivering new resources to help establish a precision agriculture laboratory at the University of Georgia's Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture in Tifton.

Last year, Sens. Ossoff and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Land Grant Research Prioritization Act to improve research and development for advanced agricultural technologies, including mechanization technology and agricultural uses of artificial intelligence.

Click here to read the Beagle Brigade Act of 2023.

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