Measure's Introduction Comes
on Heels of National Bed Bug Summit
FAIRFAX, Va.-- The National Pest
Management Association (NPMA) today expressed support for the Don't
Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009, federal legislation aimed at
helping to more effectively manage ever-growing infestations of the
blood sucking pest.
Virtually non-existent in the United States from the 1950s
through the late 1990s, the bed bug population has rebounded
dramatically over the last several years, and infestations have now
been reported in all 50 states and in a myriad of settings. Experts
cite the use of more targeted pest-specific control methods and
increased international travel as the primary reasons for the
resurgence.
Introduced today by Congressman G.K. Butterfield of North
Carolina, the
multi-faceted legislation provides critical
resources to state and local officials to combat bed bug
outbreaks in lodging facilities, residential housing and
other settings. Specifically, the bill:
- Establishes a state bed bug inspection grant program within the
Department of Commerce for states to use to help fund inspections
of lodging facilities;
- Expands an existing grant program managed by the Department of
Health and Human Services that already provides funds to states for
cockroach and rodent control to be used for bed bug prevention and
control;
- Requires public housing agencies to include in annual plans,
required by the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, measures necessary for the management of bed bugs,
similar to their current responsibility to manage cockroaches;
and
- Directs the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to
investigate the public health implications of bed bugs.
"NPMA strongly commends Congressman Butterfield for his
leadership on this very important issue," said Bob Rosenberg,
NPMA's Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. "His
legislation will grant state and local governments, in concert with
the professional pest management industry, the necessary resources
to more effectively and aggressively manage bed bug
infestations."
The bill's introduction comes on the heels last month's National
Bed Bug Summit. Hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
the event drew almost 300 state and federal regulatory, public
health, and housing officials, academics, landlords/property
managers, pest professionals, and other key stakeholders.
The NPMA is the only national
trade group for the professional pest management industry.
For more information, go to www.npmapestworld.org