10/01/2026
Protecting Missouri families means more than treating illness. It means preventing it, getting people answers sooner, and working toward better treatments.
President Trump’s September 29 executive order addresses the health threats posed by ticks and mosquitoes, including specific action on alpha-gal syndrome. Here is how that federal action connects with the work we have been doing in Missouri.
For my community, my family, and many others across the state, this work is personal. That is why I have made it a priority in the legislature.
Alpha-gal is not simply an inconvenience that means someone cannot eat a hamburger. It is a potentially life-threatening allergy that can develop after a tick bite. Beyond mammalian meat, some patients also react to dairy, gelatin, or ingredients in certain medical products. It can change how families eat, shop, and approach their medical care.
Here in Missouri, I sponsored HB 1855, our alpha-gal reporting proposal. Reporting provisions ultimately became law through HB 2372, establishing electronic laboratory reporting requirements for qualifying alpha-gal blood tests, protections for patients’ identifiable health information, and a aggregated annual report to the CDC.
Why does that matter? My goal is to use better information to guide prevention, strengthen awareness among healthcare professionals, support research, and help patients get answers sooner. Reporting is a starting point, not the finish line.
The executive order addresses other parts of that work. It directs federal agencies to:
• Advance diagnosis and treatment. Within 90 days, announce prize competitions or direct research programs for rapid diagnostics, prevention, and treatments for illnesses associated with ticks and mosquitoes. It specifically requires reviewing alpha-gal immunotherapies and developing a research agenda to accelerate clinical review of viable candidates.
• Explore alpha-gal labeling. Within 60 days, examine allergy-warning options for food and drug products containing significant amounts of alpha-gal. This does not immediately create new labeling requirements.
• Develop additional prevention tools. Direct research or prize competitions for nonchemical pest control within 90 days, submit a regulatory framework for advanced technologies within 60 days, and expedite new tick and mosquito controls found safe and effective.
• Launch a demonstration campaign in Washington, D.C. Begin implementing a campaign within 60 days, targeting a 90% reduction in specified invasive mosquito populations and a 50% reduction in ticks by 2028. Successful approaches are intended as a national model.
These are directions for further action, not an immediate cure. Implementation remains subject to applicable law and available funding.
The goal is real improvement in people’s lives: fewer preventable exposures, fewer families searching for answers, fewer medical emergencies, and better options for those already affected.
I want our farmers, outdoor workers, hunters, and families to be able to work their land and enjoy the outdoors without accepting serious illness as simply part of rural life.
I also want to thank every family who has worked alongside me on this issue here in Missouri. Your willingness to share your experiences, speak up, and help others understand what living with alpha-gal means has helped move this work forward. This has been a shared effort, and you deserve credit for it.
Real issues affecting real families are why I continue in public service. Not for a title or personal recognition, but for the opportunity to help when people are facing challenges they should not have to navigate alone. For my family and so many of yours, this is not an abstract policy debate. It is everyday life, from what goes on the dinner table to what happens in a medical emergency.
That is what keeps me focused on this work. Awareness is only the beginning. Answers, practical solutions, and better health outcomes for Missouri families are the goal.
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