H.R. 9981, introduced July 30, 2026, would stop the federal government from cutting staff at CDC divisions that track and respond to foodborne illness outbreaks. For one year after a multi-state or nationally significant outbreak, no reduction of 1% or more of those workers could happen within a 60-day period. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Federal workers who track food poisoning outbreaks could affect how fast contaminated food is identified. This bill limits staff cuts at those CDC divisions, which may affect outbreak response times.
