119-HRES-811 Investigative Journalist Impact Analysis

Summary

What the resolution does: H.Res. 811 expresses support for designating Oct 24–31, 2025 as “Bat Week,” encourages observance, acknowledges bats’ agricultural/ecosystem roles, and signals intent to continue conservation efforts; it is a simple House resolution with no force of law or appropriation authority. [1]Congress.gov — Text - H.Res.811 (119th Congress): Expressing support for the de…[2]U.S. House of Representatives — Bills & Resolutions (forms of congressional act…

Likely effects: Direct economic or regulatory impacts are minimal; any benefits would flow indirectly through amplified outreach and coordination already underway (e.g., North American Bat Monitoring Program [NABat]) and through public/industry adoption of proven practices (e.g., decontamination to limit white-nose syndrome [WNS] spread; wind-turbine curtailment to reduce bat mortality). [3]U.S. Geological Survey — Federal agencies commit to continue a crucial collabor…[5]WhiteNoseSyndrome.org — Where is White‑nose Syndrome? (spread map, updated Aug…[6]U.S. Geological Survey — A decade of curtailment studies demonstrates an effect…

Economic Effects

Signals and awareness can change behavior, but this measure does not itself change rules or budgets. Evidence below reflects documented relationships and program data relevant to any incremental uptake prompted by Bat Week.

• No direct fiscal effect: Simple House resolutions express chamber sentiment and do not carry the force of law or spending authority. Any agency Bat Week activities occur within existing appropriations. [2]U.S. House of Representatives — Bills & Resolutions (forms of congressional act…
• Agricultural pest control services: USGS and peer‑reviewed work estimate bats’ pest suppression value to U.S. agriculture at roughly $3.7B per year (with scenario ranges up to ~$53B). Awareness that promotes bat‑friendly IPM could marginally reinforce these services. [4]U.S. Geological Survey — Why are bats important? (valuation overview)[7]USGS Publications Warehouse — Economic importance of bats in agriculture (Scien…
• Crop‑specific evidence: Studies in Texas cotton found avoided damage and reduced insecticide applications attributable to bats; later analyses show market forces and Bt adoption can reduce the monetary valuation even if ecological function persists—underscoring that realized benefits vary by crop prices/technology. [8]Web search · turn 9 #3[9]Web search · turn 9 #8
• Wind energy operations: If industry messaging during Bat Week accelerates adoption of curtailment (raising cut‑in wind speed), meta‑analysis indicates average ~62% reductions in bat fatalities at 5.0 m/s—potentially lowering incidental take risks and permitting frictions without significant energy losses at some sites. [6]U.S. Geological Survey — A decade of curtailment studies demonstrates an effect…
• Tourism/education spillovers: Agencies routinely program Bat Week events; incremental visitation/engagement may be positive but is likely small and highly local. [10]U.S. National Park Service — Bats (NPS hub) — Bat Week programming and resources

Social Effects

Most consequences are informational: who is reached, what they do differently, and whether risk communications are accurate.

• Public awareness and partnerships: Bat Week is co‑promoted by federal agencies (USFS, USFWS, NPS, BLM) and NGO partners, providing a ready‑made platform for outreach, volunteerism, and citizen science that the resolution can amplify. [11]Web search · turn 7 #6[12]Web search · turn 7 #1[13]Web search · turn 7 #2
• Community education on coexisting with bats: NPS/USFWS programming during Bat Week highlights ecological benefits and practical steps (e.g., bat‑proofing homes) that can reduce nuisance conflicts while maintaining conservation outcomes. [10]U.S. National Park Service — Bats (NPS hub) — Bat Week programming and resources
• Public health messaging: Because bats account for most U.S. rabies deaths despite very low prevalence in wild populations, effective communication must stress “do not handle bats; seek prompt assessment after potential contact.” Poor messaging could raise exposures; good messaging mitigates risk. [14]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Rabies in the United States: Prote…[15]Web search · turn 12 #1
• Inclusion of Tribes and local partners: NABat data infrastructure explicitly includes Tribal organizations, enabling community‑level participation and local decision support that Bat Week can showcase. [3]U.S. Geological Survey — Federal agencies commit to continue a crucial collabor…

Environmental Effects

Environmental outcomes depend on behavior change in monitoring, disease control, and threat mitigation—areas where agencies already have tools.

• Monitoring capacity: The NABat program (USGS/USFWS) reported consolidating ~94M records by early 2024; USGS reports >170M records in 2025. Bat Week can drive additional data contributions and visibility for these tools. [3]U.S. Geological Survey — Federal agencies commit to continue a crucial collabor…[16]U.S. Geological Survey — North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) — progra…
• Disease awareness: WNS has caused severe declines and is confirmed across most of the U.S.; recent detections (e.g., Oregon) and updated maps show continuing spread. Outreach that reinforces decontamination and seasonal cave access guidance can reduce human‑assisted spread. [17]U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — Preventing and treating white‑nose syndrome[18]U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — White‑nose syndrome causing fungus detected for…[5]WhiteNoseSyndrome.org — Where is White‑nose Syndrome? (spread map, updated Aug…
• Threat mitigation at wind facilities: Curtailment during bat‑active periods measurably lowers fatalities among migratory “tree bats,” supporting biodiversity objectives without new regulation from this resolution. [6]U.S. Geological Survey — A decade of curtailment studies demonstrates an effect…
• Ecosystem services beyond pest control: Pollination/seed dispersal by nectar‑feeding bats (e.g., lesser long‑nosed and Mexican long‑tongued bats) supports agave and saguaro in the Southwest—services Bat Week materials commonly highlight. [19]U.S. National Park Service — Pollinators — Lesser long‑nosed bat (NPS)[20]U.S. Forest Service — Bat Pollination (USDA Forest Service)

Temporal Analysis

Distinguish near‑term signaling from longer‑run consequences that rely on external decisions (appropriations, agency uptake, private actions).

Unintended Consequences

Assessment

Overall stance: Neutral. H.Res. 811 is a nonbinding signal with negligible direct economic, social, or environmental impact on its own. It can, however, slightly improve the reach of existing conservation, monitoring, and risk‑reduction practices (NABat, WNS decontamination, targeted curtailment) if agencies and private actors leverage the attention window. [2]U.S. House of Representatives — Bills & Resolutions (forms of congressional act…[3]U.S. Geological Survey — Federal agencies commit to continue a crucial collabor…[5]WhiteNoseSyndrome.org — Where is White‑nose Syndrome? (spread map, updated Aug…[6]U.S. Geological Survey — A decade of curtailment studies demonstrates an effect…

Sourcing (key references)

Primary sources for the legislative status and the scientific/operational claims cited above.

• Text and status of H.Res. 811 (Introduced Oct 17, 2025; referred to House Agriculture). [1]Congress.gov — Text - H.Res.811 (119th Congress): Expressing support for the de…
• Simple resolutions: scope and non‑force‑of‑law characteristics. [2]U.S. House of Representatives — Bills & Resolutions (forms of congressional act…[22]Congressional Research Service — CRS In Focus: “Sense of” Resolutions and Provi…
• Bat ecosystem services (valuation) and WNS overview. [4]U.S. Geological Survey — Why are bats important? (valuation overview)[7]USGS Publications Warehouse — Economic importance of bats in agriculture (Scien…[17]U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — Preventing and treating white‑nose syndrome
• NABat governance and data scale (94M → 170M records). [3]U.S. Geological Survey — Federal agencies commit to continue a crucial collabor…[16]U.S. Geological Survey — North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) — progra…
• Wind‑turbine curtailment efficacy meta‑analysis. [6]U.S. Geological Survey — A decade of curtailment studies demonstrates an effect…
• Rabies risk communications for the public. [14]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Rabies in the United States: Prote…
• Bat Week federal partner programming. [10]U.S. National Park Service — Bats (NPS hub) — Bat Week programming and resources