Eliminating Disease-Carrying Pests and Restoring Enjoyment of the Great Outdoors

What it does

• •Directs federal agencies (Interior, Agriculture, EPA, General Services, HHS) to develop and implement a campaign in Washington, DC to reduce invasive mosquito populations by 90 percent and tick populations by 50 percent by 2028 through habitat remediation, host population control, and advanced technologies including sterile insect techniques and genetic modification.
• •Orders EPA to develop a regulatory framework within 60 days for safe deployment of advanced tick and mosquito control technologies, including sterilization techniques, genetic modification, and beneficial bacteria, aligned with biosafety executive orders.
• •Requires HHS to launch prize competitions and research programs within 90 days for rapid diagnostics, preventatives, and therapeutics for tick- and mosquito-borne diseases (Lyme disease, West Nile, Zika, alpha-gal syndrome, and others), and to review immunotherapy treatments for alpha-gal syndrome.
• •Directs USDA and HHS within 60 days to explore labeling requirements for food and drug products containing significant amounts of alpha-galactose, similar to allergy warnings.

Why it matters

• •The order addresses stated public health concerns from disease-carrying insects, citing ticks and mosquitoes as major disease vectors causing growing health and economic burdens, with invasive Asian tiger and Egyptian mosquitoes becoming dominant in some U.S. areas including DC.
• •The order prioritizes non-chemical, technology-enabled control methods and advances in biotechnology over conventional pesticides, while requiring safeguards to protect beneficial insects, native plants and animals, and natural environments.

Who is affected

• •Federal agencies (Interior, Agriculture, EPA, General Services, HHS) responsible for implementing mosquito and tick control campaigns and developing regulatory frameworks.
• •Residents and visitors in Washington, DC and potentially nationwide as control techniques are scaled to other regions.
• •Researchers, biotechnology companies, and private entities developing or deploying advanced pest control technologies, diagnostics, and treatments.

What happens next

Multiple federal agencies must submit regulatory frameworks, research agendas, and campaign implementation plans to the President within 60 to 90 days, with the DC pest reduction campaign targeting 90 percent mosquito and 50 percent tick reduction by 2028.