New lab will speed animal disease diagnoses for Western Pennsylvania farmers, lowering business costs, and helping to protect their farms and our food system.
New western PA lab funded through investment the Shapiro Administration secured in the bipartisan 2024-25 state budget.
Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget builds on past two years’ progress, investing strategically to keep Pennsylvania agriculture a thriving national leader.
Harrisburg, PA – Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced today that the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System (PADLS) will expand, adding a new location at Penn State University’s Beaver Campus in Monaca. Funded by a $6 million investment secured by Governor Josh Shapiro in the bipartisan 2024-25 budget, the expansion will increase Pennsylvania’s capacity to respond to animal disease outbreaks, speeding diagnoses for farmers in the western part of the state, lowering their business costs, and helping protect their animals and investments.
Governor Shapiro proposed an additional $2 million investment in his 2025-26 budget to support the new lab’s operations. The new lab will join the system’s three cutting-edge labs: the PA Department of Agriculture’s Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory in Harrisburg, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences’ Animal Diagnostic Laboratory in University Park, and the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in Kennett Square.
“Establishing a western animal health lab has been part of our long-term vision for decades. Today, that vision becomes reality, thanks to Gov. Shapiro’s leadership and continued investment in Pennsylvania agriculture. Pennsylvania’s food supply is safe and secure, due to swift, aggressive response to animal diseases like avian influenza,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Having a world-class diagnostic laboratory system with cutting-edge technology and skilled scientists is crucial to a healthy food production system, preparation and our emergency response. Adding a fourth lab on the Penn State Beaver Campus that’s part of our nation-leading Land Grant University continues that tradition of excellence and strengthens our capacity to help feed the growth our western counties are seeing in animal agriculture. This expansion is further proof that investments by the Shapiro Administration are feeding Pennsylvania’s economic future and protecting our rich agricultural heritage.”
“The new veterinary lab in Beaver County will be an incredible asset to agriculture in Western Pennsylvania,” Senator Elder Vogel said. ‘Animal health and welfare is a top priority for our farmers and with the establishment of a lab at Penn State Beaver vital services will be much more accessible. We are committed to growing agriculture in the region and the new lab is a great step forward.”
“Farmers have always relied on services such as animal testing and disease surveillance to protect their animals and grow their businesses. Establishing a lab in Western PA creates a level playing field for farmers across the state by providing greater access to PADLS services for farmers west of Interstate 99,” said PA Farm Bureau President Chris Hoffman. “The Western lab at Penn State Beaver will benefit not only agricultural producers, but our rural communities, the larger student body, and veterinarians in the region, leveraging PSU’s existing PADLS systems and processes, and their legacy of supporting our farmers.”
"As a dairy farmer from Berlin, Somerset County, and dairy representative on the Pennsylvania Animal Health and Diagnostic Commission since 2022, I’ve seen firsthand the vital role PADLS plays in supporting our livestock industry,” said Glenn Stoltzfus of Pennwood Farm. “This investment will not only strengthen animal health but also drive economic growth in the region. It aligns with the Governor’s economic development strategy by boosting agriculture, particularly the livestock sector, and improving Pennsylvania’s competitiveness in expanding its agricultural operations."
In 2024, PADLS labs tested 607,913 animal specimens, performing testing critical for monitoring diseases like avian influenza, rabies, chronic wasting disease and others. Laboratory services are essential to ensuring animal health, the safety of the food supply, and protecting Pennsylvania’s domestic and international trade.
More than 207,000 tests run by PADLS labs in 2024 were to determine whether avian influenza was present when poultry farms reported high number of deaths among their birds, to determine whether birds on nearby farms were free of the virus, so the farms could transport their goods. This testing, as well as the 22,000 tests the labs have run on bulk milk samples since the end of November 2024 to determine whether the virus was present in dairy herds, is crucial to early detection and response in Pennsylvania’s work to minimize virus spread and protect our food supply.
In addition to the $2 million proposed to support the new lab’s operations, Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget invests to continue Pennsylvania’s national legacy as an agriculture leader by proposing:
- An additional $13 million in the Ag Innovation Fund to help build the future of American agriculture right here in Pennsylvania. In its first open application period, the Ag Innovation Fund received 159 applications for nearly $70 million worth of innovation projects.
- Continued support for the Center for Livestock and Poultry Excellence, Center for Beef Excellence, and the Center for Dairy Excellence, critical partners in providing equipment, personnel, training, and research funding for Pennsylvania’s response to the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus outbreak.
- Funding the Animal Health and Diagnostic Commission and the PA Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System to ensure the health of Pennsylvania’s animals and agricultural industries. The Commission oversees disease prevention efforts and coordinates response strategies, while the labs provide critical diagnostic services to detect and control animal diseases.
- Continued support for poultry producers to help them recover losses from Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza and improve biosecurity on their farms with the nation’s only HPAI recovery fund. With $13.5 million in grants distributed and applications open for a sixth round, $61.5 million in funds remain for use in 2025-26.
- Support for PennVet and Penn State to grow Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry, protect animal health, and public safety. These institutions advance veterinary science, and are key to disease detection, prevention, and research, enabling rapid responses to emerging threats.
These investments are crucial for the future of Pennsylvania agriculture. By supporting these vital institutions, the Governor is helping to build a more resilient agricultural economy, safeguard the food supply, and secure a prosperous future for Pennsylvania’s farming communities.
Read more about commonsense investments to keep Pennsylvania agriculture competitive and thriving in Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal at shapirobudget.pa.gov.
Media contact: Shannon Powers, 717-603-2056 or shpowers@pa.gov
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