3.0.0 8473 2026-07-17T23:39:50Z 2026-07-17T23:39:50Z House H HR 2026-04-23 119 https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8473 [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 72 (Thursday, April 23, 2026)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. BEGICH:H.R. 8473.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following provisions of the Constitution of the UnitedStates:Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 (the Commerce Clause), whichgrants Congress the authority to regulate commerce withforeign nations, among the several States, and with IndianTribes, including matters affecting public health, zoonoticdisease prevention, and interstate disease transmission.Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 (the Spending Clause), whichgrants Congress the authority to provide for the generalwelfare of the United States through expenditures for publichealth and Indian health programs.Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 (the Necessary and ProperClause), which authorizes Congress to make all laws necessaryand proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers,including legislation relating to the Indian Health Service,public health veterinary services, and coordination amongFederal agencies.Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 (the Indian Commerce Clause)and Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 (the Property Clause)further provide authority for legislation concerning IndianTribes and Federal responsibilities in Tribal and Federallands and communities.[Page H3092]]]> hsii00 Natural Resources Committee House Standing hsii24 Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee Hearings By (subcommittee) 2026-06-09T18:00:00Z Referred to 2026-06-03T16:00:00Z Referred To 2026-04-23T13:04:10Z hsag00 Agriculture Committee House Standing Referred To 2026-04-23T13:04:20Z hsif00 Energy and Commerce Committee House Standing Referred To 2026-04-23T13:04:15Z Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act 119 620 S 2025-12-15 Held at the desk. 16:18:31 Identical bill CRS 2026-06-09 hsii24 Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee 1 House committee actions Subcommittee Hearings Held Committee 2026-06-03 hsii24 Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee 1 House committee actions Referred to the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs. Committee 2026-04-23 Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. IntroReferral H11100 2 House floor actions hsag00 Agriculture Committee 2026-04-23 Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. IntroReferral H11100 2 House floor actions hsif00 Energy and Commerce Committee 2026-04-23 Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. IntroReferral H11100 2 House floor actions hsii00 Natural Resources Committee 2026-04-23 Introduced in House IntroReferral Intro-H 9 Library of Congress 2026-04-23 Introduced in House IntroReferral 1000 9 Library of Congress B001323 Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large] Nicholas Begich R AK J. N Native Americans Animal and plant health 2026-07-07T14:40:12Z Arctic and polar regions 2026-07-07T14:40:12Z Congressional oversight 2026-07-07T14:40:12Z Health promotion and preventive care 2026-07-07T14:40:12Z Immunology and vaccination 2026-07-07T14:40:12Z Indian social and development programs 2026-07-07T14:40:12Z Infectious and parasitic diseases 2026-07-07T14:40:12Z Veterinary medicine and animal diseases 2026-07-07T14:40:12Z Native Americans 2026-05-04T22:51:34Z 00 2026-04-23 Introduced in House 2026-06-08T18:32:59Z 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.

]]> Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act Display Title 45 Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act 2026-07-17T23:39:50Z Official Title as Introduced 6 To provide public health veterinary services to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations for rabies prevention, and for other purposes. 2026-07-17T23:39:50Z Introduced in House IH Short Title(s) as Introduced 101 Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act 2026-04-24T08:23:24Z Introduced in House IH Introduced in House 2026-04-23T04:00:00Z https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr8473ih/xml/BILLS-119hr8473ih.xml 2026-06-09 Subcommittee Hearings Held text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.