Both of Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senators are co-sponsoring a bill that concerns the spotted lanternfly.
The Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act would designate the insect as a high-priority research initiative for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. That research would be used to stop the spread of the invasive species. Spotted laternflies were first spotted in Pennsylvania in 2014 and since then, they have spread to 51 counties in Pennsylvania.
Senator John Fetterman said that the insects have “ravaged crops that are critical to Pennsylvania’s economy” and have cost the Commonwealth “millions of dollars and thousands of jobs.” Studies estimate that the species could cost the state $324 million annually if not contained.
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