S.Res. 782

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 782 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 782

Recognizing the importance of pollinators to ecosystem health and 
agriculture in the United States by designating June 22 through June 
28, 2026, as ``National Pollinator Week''.

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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 22, 2026

Mr. Merkley submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Environment and Public Works

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RESOLUTION

Recognizing the importance of pollinators to ecosystem health and 
agriculture in the United States by designating June 22 through June 
28, 2026, as ``National Pollinator Week''.

Whereas pollinators like native bees, butterflies and moths, birds and bats, and 
beetles play a vital role in agriculture throughout the United States 
and help produce a healthy and affordable food supply while also 
maintaining the health and diversity of ecosystems;
Whereas various native pollinator species help reproduce at least 80 percent of 
flowering plants, making pollinators indispensable for sustaining the 
biodiversity of natural ecosystems;
Whereas enhancing native pollinator and honey bee populations can result in 
improved and essential pollination services for neighboring land, 
including agriculture and wildlife ecosystems;
Whereas it is in the strong economic interest of agricultural producers and 
consumers in the United States to help ensure healthy, sustainable 
pollinator populations, as pollinators add more than $18,000,000,000 in 
revenue to crop production in the United States each year, including 
more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from native pollinators;
Whereas pollinators also contribute to clean air and water, stable soil, and a 
diversity of wildlife needed for healthy and productive natural 
ecosystems;
Whereas a number of North American bumble bees are threatened or endangered, 
while iconic species like the Western monarch butterfly have declined by 
99 percent due to dwindling habitat, disease, and other threats;
Whereas the Western monarch butterfly population has significantly declined from 
nearly 10,000,000 butterflies in the 1980s to fewer than 2,000 
butterflies in 2020, and the population of this iconic species remains 
perilously small and vulnerable to yearly fluctuations, prompting the 
monarch butterfly to be proposed as threatened;
Whereas more than 70 native pollinator species are listed by the Federal 
Government as threatened or endangered, with the rusty patched bumble 
bee, the Powesheik skipperling, and the Dakota skipper listed within the 
past decade; and
Whereas declines in the health and population of native pollinators potentially 
pose a substantial threat to global food webs, ecological diversity, and 
human health: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) expresses support for the designation of June 22 
through June 28, 2026, as ``National Pollinator Week'';
(2) acknowledges the significance that all types of 
pollinators play in sustaining agriculture, promoting 
biodiversity, and maintaining the overall health of natural 
ecosystems;
(3) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
National Pollinator Week with appropriate ceremonies and 
conservation and educational activities; and
(4) intends to--
(A) continue working to conserve native pollinator 
species and their various habitats; and
(B) work to improve the overall understanding of 
the importance of native pollinators.
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