Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture a cooperative agreement valued at $378,950 under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) for the period of June 1, 2025 through May 31, 2026. This award provides annual infrastructure support to the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 laboratories in Pennsylvania, enabling these facilities to maintain critical operational capacity for animal health diagnostics and disease surveillance activities.

The funding supports the Department's laboratory infrastructure and operations at its facilities in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Ames, Iowa, which serve as designated NAHLN laboratories providing specialized diagnostic testing services. These services include highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) testing, antimicrobial resistance analysis, foreign animal disease diagnostics, and related animal health laboratory capabilities essential to the federal government's animal disease monitoring and response mission. The infrastructure support ensures these state laboratories maintain readiness to conduct routine surveillance and provide emergency response capabilities to protect U.S. agriculture from economically injurious animal diseases and health threats.