Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act
Sponsored By: Representative Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]
Introduced
Summary
Would create public health veterinary services through the Indian Health Service to reduce zoonotic disease risk in Tribal and rural communities.
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- Tribal communities: Increases local access to spaying and neutering, vaccinations, diagnosis, surveillance, and other services to lower diseases passed between animals and people.
- Indian Health Service and health workforce: Authorizes IHS to fund these activities under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and to receive deployed veterinary public health officers from the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service.
- Interagency coordination: Directs IHS to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Agriculture for surveillance and response and adds the IHS Director to the federal One Health governance framework.
- Arctic and wildlife risk: Requires the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to study oral rabies vaccine feasibility and delivery for Arctic wildlife within 1 year, including vaccine efficacy and recommendations.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More tribal veterinary health services
If enacted, the Secretary would be able to fund public health veterinary services through the Indian Health Service. These services would include spaying and neutering, diagnosis, surveillance, epidemiology, control, vaccination, and actions to reduce zoonotic disease and antimicrobial resistance. Funds could be used directly or through tribal contracts under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. The Secretary could assign or deploy veterinary public health officers from the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and coordinate with CDC and USDA. The agency would report to specified Senate and House committees every two years on funds, deployments, surveillance data, and services. This authority would take effect upon enactment and is subject to appropriations.
Indian Health Service joins One Health
If enacted, the bill would add the Director of the Indian Health Service to the list of officials the government must consult under the One Health framework. This would align IHS with other federal health and agriculture agencies for zoonotic and pandemic planning. The change would take effect upon enactment and does not itself appropriate money or create direct payments.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]
AK • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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