Congressman Tom Cole praised the move by the House to remove a duplicative program which hinders mosquito control in the wake of the Zika virus. H.R. 897, the Zika Vector Control Act, was passed this week.
The legislation suspects a duplicative permit for spraying entities currently required by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. Another law regulates spraying for mosquitoes.
“I am pleased that House Republicans again proved their commitment to responsibly fighting the Zika virus by passing the Zika Vector Control Act,” said Cole. “In the midst of a national health emergency, this legislation is a commonsense measure that quickens mosquito control efforts by empowering spraying entities to kill mosquitoes without being unnecessarily slowed down by needless and expensive government regulation. It’s a smart piece of legislation that puts public health and those most vulnerable to Zika ahead of government bureaucracy.”
