Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§5165g National veterinary emergency teams

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 68— - DISASTER RELIEF › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - MAJOR DISASTER AND EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE ADMINISTRATION › § 5165g

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The FEMA Administrator can set up one or more national veterinary emergency teams at accredited veterinary colleges. Those teams will go out with National Urban Search and Rescue teams to care for search dogs, find and treat pets, service animals, livestock, and other animals, and watch for and help treat diseases that can pass between animals and people. They will recruit, train, and certify veterinarians and vet students under set plans and rules. They will help state, tribal, and local governments and nonprofits make animal evacuation and emergency plans and improve local veterinary response. They will coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Agriculture, government health departments, veterinary and health professionals, and volunteers.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §5165g

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency may establish one or more national veterinary emergency teams at accredited colleges of veterinary medicine.
(b)A national veterinary emergency team shall—
(1)deploy with a team of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System to assist with—
(A)veterinary care of canine search teams;
(B)locating and treating companion animals, service animals, livestock, and other animals; and
(C)surveillance and treatment of zoonotic diseases;
(2)recruit, train, and certify veterinary professionals, including veterinary students, in accordance with an established set of plans and standard operating guidelines to carry out the duties associated with planning for and responding to major disasters and emergencies as described in paragraph (1);
(3)assist State governments, Indian tribal governments, local governments, and nonprofit organizations in developing emergency management and evacuation plans that account for the care and rescue of animals and in improving local readiness for providing veterinary medical response during an emergency or major disaster; and
(4)coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Agriculture, State, local, and Indian tribal governments (including departments of animal and human health), veterinary and health care professionals, and volunteers.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was enacted as part of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 and as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, and not as part of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act which comprises this chapter.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Authorities provided under div. D of Pub. L. 115–254, which enacted this section, applicable to each major disaster and emergency declared by the President under Pub. L. 93–288 on or after Jan. 1, 2016, except as otherwise provided, see section 1202(b) of Pub. L. 115–254, set out in an

Effective Date

of 2018 Amendment note under section 5121 of this title. Definitions For definition of “State” as used in this section, see section 1203 of Pub. L. 115–254, set out as a note under section 5122 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 5165g

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73