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S4365FEDERALFederal Billfiled

Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act

Record date · December 16, 2024

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Would Do

This bill authorizes the Indian Health Service (IHS) to provide veterinary services, such as vaccinations and spay/neuter programs, to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to prevent the spread of diseases between animals and humans. It also mandates a study on delivering oral rabies vaccines to wildlife in Arctic regions and integrates the IHS into federal '' disease-prevention frameworks.

Why it matters

This legislation creates a new federal mandate for the Indian Health Service to deploy public health veterinarians to tribal lands, potentially reducing risks like rabies and canine distemper for residents in rural and Arctic communities.

Background
  • The Indian Health Service is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. context
  • The 'One Health' framework is a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach to achieving optimal health outcomes by recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment. context

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations

They are the primary recipients of the newly authorized public health veterinary services and disease prevention programs.

Directly affected

Indian Health Service

The agency is tasked with new responsibilities, including funding veterinary services, deploying officers, and coordinating with other federal departments.

Directly affected

Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service

Members of this corps will be deployed to tribal areas to provide veterinary public health services.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are 'public health veterinary services' under this bill?
These include spaying and neutering, diagnosis, surveillance, epidemiology, vaccination, and other activities aimed at reducing the risk of diseases that spread between animals and humans.
Who will provide these veterinary services?
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Indian Health Service, will deploy veterinary public health officers from the .
Does this bill affect wildlife?
Yes, it mandates a study on the feasibility of delivering oral rabies vaccines to wildlife species in Arctic regions that are connected to rabies transmission to tribal members.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Connected Entities

Director of the Indian Health Service, Native communities, 2017 and 35 more
PersonDirector of the Indian Health Service“Official mentioned in an amendment”Map →
locationNative communities“Areas where health is interdependent”Map →
date2017“End year for dog bite reporting period”Map →
date2024“Year as of which IHS does not employ public health veterinarians”Map →
OrganizationYukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation“Reported average dog bites”Map →
locationSt. Lawrence Island, Alaska“Location of rabies and canine distemper outbreaks”Map →
OrganizationNorton Sound Health Corporation“Reported average dog bites”Map →
OrganizationNative Villages of Savoonga“Villages relying on marine mammals”Map →
OrganizationCommittee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives“Committee to receive a report”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Agriculture“Department to coordinate with and conduct a study”Map →
OrganizationHouse of Representatives“Chamber to receive a report”Map →
OrganizationCenters for Disease Control and Prevention“Agency to coordinate with”Map →
dollar amount98“Average dog bites per year reported by Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation”Map →
locationYukon-Kuskokwim Delta region“Region with reported dog bites”Map →
OrganizationCommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions“Committee to receive a report”Map →
otherIndian Health Care Improvement Act“Act amended by this bill”Map →
locationIndian reservations“Areas where health is interdependent”Map →
date2020“Start year for increased human exposures to rabid animals”Map →
locationUnited States“Country where the bill applies”Map →
PersonSecretary of the Interior“Official mentioned in an amendment”Map →
OrganizationIndian Health Service“System where Alaska Native children have high dog bite hospitalization rates; ag”Map →
bill numberS. 4365“Introduced bill number”Map →
dollar amount87“Average dog bites per year reported by Norton Sound Health Corporation”Map →
OrganizationCommittee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives“Committee to receive a report”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Health and Human Services“Department overseeing the Indian Health Service”Map →
date2023“End year for dog bite reporting period”Map →
date2021“Year of rabies and canine distemper outbreaks”Map →
OrganizationSenate Indian Affairs Committee“Committee to which the bill was referred”Map →
locationBering Strait region“Region with reported dog bites”Map →
PersonAlaska Native children“Highest incidence of hospitalization for dog bites”Map →
PersonMurkowski“Introduced the bill”Map →
date2016“Start year for dog bite reporting period”Map →
locationState of Alaska“Location of rabies in fox populations and dog bite statistics”Map →
otherPrepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act“Act amended by this bill”Map →
OrganizationCommissioned Corps of the Public Health Service“Corps from which veterinary public health officers will be deployed”Map →
date2008“Start year for dog bite reporting period”Map →
locationGambell“Villages relying on marine mammals”Map →
locationAlaska Native villages“Areas where health is interdependent”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.congress.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy10
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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