[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 59 (Thursday, April 4, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E410]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REINTRODUCTION OF THE WILDLIFE VETERINARIANS EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING 
                              ACT OF 2019

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 4, 2019

  Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the Wildlife 
Veterinarians Employment and Training Act of 2019. This bill will 
provide incentives for students to pursue wildlife and zoological 
medicine and increases the number of positions available at wildlife 
and zoological facilities.
  Wildlife and zoo veterinarians are the primary source of essential 
health care and management that is required for animals in both their 
natural habitat and in captivity. These physicians preserve natural 
resources and the lives of animals, while also protecting human health 
by preventing, detecting and responding to exotic and dangerous 
diseases.
  With the intensification of globalization and climate change, along 
with the growing interaction among humans, livestock and wildlife, the 
threat posed by emerging infectious diseases to humans and wildlife 
continues to increase. Controlling pandemic and large-scale outbreaks 
of disease has become more challenging over the years, yet there has 
never been a time where this is a more pertinent issue.
  We must take preventative measures to ensure the well-being of both 
animals and humans. In spite of these threats to public health, the 
United States faces a shortage of positions for wildlife and zoo 
veterinarians. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association 
(AVMA), less than one percent of AVMA members identify themselves as 
wildlife or zoological veterinarians.
  On average, veterinarian graduates owe $143,000 in student loans. 
Relatedly, salaries for wildlife and zoological professionals are 
relatively low compared to those who practice companion animal 
medicine, ranking second to the bottom for salaries paid to 
veterinarians as a whole. Lower salaries, combined with high 
educational debt and the small number of positions available, 
discourage students from becoming wildlife or zoo veterinarians. The 
number of internships, practical training programs, and formal 
education programs specializing in wildlife and zoological veterinary 
medicine are also insufficient.
  My bill directly addresses the aforementioned issues, by doing the 
following:
  Create new positions for wildlife and zoo veterinarians.
  Limit the amount of educational debt for veterinary medicine 
students, while providing incentives to study and practice wildlife and 
zoo veterinary medicine through a scholarship program and a loan 
repayment program.
  Help schools of veterinary medicine develop curricula and training 
programs specializing in wildlife and zoo veterinary medicine.
  Develop affordable and well qualified opportunities for individuals 
to become wildlife and zoo veterinarians, spur job growth, and promote 
public health policy across the nation.
  Madam Speaker, as you know, wild animals play a very critical role in 
our natural resources and contribute to maintaining a balanced 
ecosystem. The number of endangered species has only increased. 
Invasive non-native species and infectious disease threaten our public 
health. Therefore, wildlife and zoological veterinarians must be 
prioritized and given the resources and recognition necessary to 
protect both animal and human lives.
  I urge my colleagues to extend a helping hand to America's 
veterinarians by supporting this important piece of legislation.

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