[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1709 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1709

 To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 
 Policy Act of 1977 to establish a grant program to promote efforts to 
  develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 24, 2009

  Ms. Stabenow (for herself, Mr. Thune, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Cochran, Mr. 
 Johanns, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Chambliss, Ms. 
   Klobuchar, Mr. Tester, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Sanders, Mrs. 
 Gillibrand, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Brownback, and Mr. 
Nelson of Nebraska) introduced the following bill; which was read twice 
 and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 
 Policy Act of 1977 to establish a grant program to promote efforts to 
  develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterinary Services Investment 
Act''.

SEC. 2. VETERINARY SERVICES AND OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM.

    The National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 
Act of 1977 is amended by inserting after section 1415A (7 U.S.C. 
3151a) the following:

``SEC. 1415B. VETERINARY SERVICES AND OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Qualified entity.--The term `qualified entity' means 
        the following:
                    ``(A) A for-profit or nonprofit entity located in 
                the United States that operates a veterinary clinic 
                providing veterinary services--
                            ``(i) in a rural area, as defined in 
                        section 1393(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code 
                        of 1986; or
                            ``(ii) in response to a veterinarian 
                        shortage situation.
                    ``(B) A State, national, allied, or regional 
                veterinary organization or specialty board recognized 
                by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
                    ``(C) A college or school of veterinary medicine 
                accredited by the American Veterinary Medical 
                Association.
                    ``(D) A university research foundation or 
                veterinary medical foundation.
                    ``(E) A department of veterinary science or 
                department of comparative medicine at an accredited 
                institution of higher education recognized by the 
                Department of Education.
                    ``(F) A State agricultural experiment station.
                    ``(G) A State, local, or tribal government agency.
            ``(2) Veterinarian shortage situation.--The term 
        `veterinarian shortage situation' means a veterinarian shortage 
        situation determined by the Secretary under section 1415A(b).
    ``(b) Establishment of Program.--
            ``(1) Competitive grants.--The Secretary shall carry out a 
        program to make competitive grants to qualified entities 
        described in paragraph (2) for the purpose of developing, 
        implementing, and sustaining veterinary services.
            ``(2) Eligibility requirements.--To be eligible for a grant 
        under this section, a qualified entity shall carry out programs 
        or activities that the Secretary determines will--
                    ``(A) substantially relieve veterinary shortage 
                situations;
                    ``(B) support or facilitate private veterinary 
                practices engaged in public health activities; or
                    ``(C) support or facilitate practices of 
                veterinarians who are participating in, or have 
                successfully completed, a service requirement under 
                section 1415A.
    ``(c) Award Processes and Preferences.--
            ``(1) Application, evaluation, and input processes.--In 
        administering the grant program under this section, the 
        Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) use an appropriate application and evaluation 
                process; and
                    ``(B) seek the input of interested persons.
            ``(2) Grant preferences.--In selecting qualified entities 
        to receive a grant under this section, the Secretary shall give 
        a preference to qualified entities that--
                    ``(A) document coordination between or with--
                            ``(i) a State, national, allied, or 
                        regional veterinary organization, a specialty 
                        board, or veterinary medical association 
                        recognized by the American Veterinary Medical 
                        Association;
                            ``(ii) the applicable accredited veterinary 
                        education institution or department of 
                        veterinary science or department of comparative 
                        medicine at an accredited institution of higher 
                        education recognized by the Department of 
                        Education; or
                            ``(iii) the applicable State veterinarian 
                        or animal health official (or equivalent 
                        official); and
                    ``(B) will use the grant funds to help to meet 
                veterinary workforce or food protection needs.
            ``(3) Additional preferences.--In awarding grants under 
        this section, the Secretary may develop additional preferences 
        by taking into account--
                    ``(A) the amount of funds available for grants; and
                    ``(B) the purposes for which the grant funds will 
                be used.
            ``(4) Applicability of other provisions.--Sections 1413B, 
        1462(a), and subsections (a)(3) and (c) of section 1469 shall 
        apply to the administration of the grant program under this 
        section.
    ``(d) Cost-Sharing Requirements.--
            ``(1) Recipient share.--A grant recipient shall provide 
        matching non-Federal funds, either in the form of cash or in-
        kind contributions, in an amount equal to not less than 25 
        percent of the Federal funds provided in a grant under this 
        section.
            ``(2) Waiver.--The Secretary may establish, by regulation, 
        conditions under which the cost-sharing requirements of 
        paragraph (1) may be reduced or waived.
    ``(e) Use of Grant To Relieve Veterinary Shortage Situations and 
Support Veterinary Services.--Funds provided by grants under this 
section may be used for the following purposes to relieve veterinary 
shortage situations and support veterinary services:
            ``(1) Grants to promote recruitment, placement, and 
        retention of--
                    ``(A) veterinarians;
                    ``(B) veterinary technicians;
                    ``(C) students of veterinary medicine; and
                    ``(D) students of veterinary technology.
            ``(2) Grants to assist veterinarians with establishing or 
        expanding practices for the purposes of--
                    ``(A) equipping veterinary offices;
                    ``(B) sharing in the overhead costs of the 
                practices; or
                    ``(C) establishing mobile veterinary facilities at 
                which at least a portion of the facilities will address 
                education or extension needs.
            ``(3) Financial assistance for veterinary students, 
        veterinary interns, externs, fellows, and residents, and 
        veterinary technician students to attend training programs in 
        food safety or food animal medicine to cover expenses other 
        than tuition.
            ``(4) Programs establishing or expanding accredited 
        veterinary education programs, veterinary residency and 
        fellowship programs, or veterinary internship and externship 
        programs in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary 
        medicine.
            ``(5) Programs for tele-veterinary medicine at practices 
        that contribute to veterinary extension, education, or 
        research.
            ``(6) Support the ability of the office or position of a 
        State veterinarian or animal health official to coordinate 
        veterinary services and food protection issues described in 
        paragraphs (1) through (5).
            ``(7) Assessments of veterinarian shortage situations and 
        preparation of applications for designation as a shortage 
        situation.
            ``(8) Programs in continuing education and extension 
        (including distance-based education) for veterinarians, 
        veterinary technicians, and other health professionals needed 
        to strengthen veterinary programs and enhance food safety.
            ``(9) Faculty recruitment and retention programs at 
        accredited colleges of veterinary medicine.
            ``(10) Programs, in coordination with universities or local 
        educational agencies, to encourage students in secondary 
        schools to pursue a career in veterinary medicine or science 
        professions.
    ``(f) Prohibition on Use of Grant Funds for Construction.--Funds 
made available for grants under this section shall not be used for the 
construction of a new building or facility or the acquisition, 
expansion, remodeling, or alteration of an existing building of 
facility, including site grading and improvement and architect fees.
    ``(g) Implementation.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations 
to implement the grant program authorized under this section.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry out 
this section for fiscal year 2011 and each fiscal year thereafter.''.
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