Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act

Summary

Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act This bill expands support for public health veterinary services (e.g., disease surveillance or vaccination) in tribal communities to address zoonotic infectious diseases (i.e., diseases that spread between humans and animals). Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Indian Health Service (IHS), to expend funds for public health veterinary services to prevent and control zoonotic disease infection and transmission in IHS areas where the risk for disease occurrence in humans and wildlife is endemic. HHS may assign or deploy veterinary public health officers from the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps to IHS areas. Additionally, HHS must submit a biennial report to Congress on the use of funds, the assignment and deployment of veterinary public health officers from the USPHS Commissioned Corps, data related to the monitoring and disease surveillance of zoonotic diseases, and related services. The bill also includes the IHS as a coordinating agency in the National One Health Framework. (This framework addresses zoonotic diseases and advances public health preparedness in the United States.) The bill requires the Department of Agriculture to conduct a feasibility study on the delivery of oral rabies vaccines to wildlife reservoir species that are connected to the transmission of rabies to tribal members living in Arctic regions of the United States. The study must (1) evaluate the efficacy of the oral rabies vaccines, and (2) make recommendations to improve the delivery of these vaccines.

Summary from the Congressional Research Service. How we handle summaries

Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs · U.S. Senate

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Cosponsors

Related bills

• H.R. 8473Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities ActIdentical bill

As identified by Congress.gov.

Full history

1. Dec 15, 2025

   Introduced

   Held at the desk.

   U.S. Senate

2. Dec 15, 2025

   Held at the desk.

3. Dec 15, 2025

   Held at the desk.

4. Dec 15, 2025

   Message on Senate Action Sent to the House.

   Message on Senate action sent to the House.

   U.S. Senate

5. Dec 15, 2025

   Sent to the executive

   Received in the House.

   U.S. House of Representatives

Read the record

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