The U.S. House of Representatives just approved a new law aimed at keeping American farms and natural areas safe from harmful pests and diseases that come from other countries. This law is called the Beagle Brigade Act. It sets up a special training center known as the National Detector Dog Training Center.
Here's how it works: The center will train dogs and their human partners to sniff out and detect pests and diseases that could hurt U.S. agriculture and local natural resources. This means that these dogs will help protect the food we eat and the environment we enjoy.
The people working at the center will make sure these dogs are well taken care of, paying attention to their health and living conditions. They even have a plan to find homes for dogs that retire or don't finish the training program.
In about a year, Congress will get a report from the center. This report will talk about any current or future threats, how well the center is doing its job, what needs improvement, and how to make the adoption process better for the dogs.
The vote to pass this law used a method called "2/3 YEA-AND-NAY," which means that more than two-thirds of the House members needed to say "yes." The act successfully passed, which means it got enough votes to move forward to help protect American agriculture and natural resources.