H.R. 8473

119 HR 8473 IH: Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2026-04-23
 text/xml
 EN
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 I  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  H. R. 8473  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   April 23, 2026   Mr. Begich  introduced the following bill; which was 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   A BILL
To provide public health veterinary services to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations for rabies prevention, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act  .
2.
Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that the Indian Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services is uniquely suited to empower Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to address zoonotic disease threats in the communities they serve by providing public health veterinary services through a One Health approach that recognizes the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.
3.
Public health veterinary services
Title II of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act is amended by inserting after section 223 ( 25 U.S.C. 1621v ) the following:
224.
Public health veterinary services
(a)
Definitions
In this section:
(1)
Public health veterinary services
The term  public health veterinary services  includes any of the following:
(A)
Spaying and neutering services for domestic animals.
(B)
Diagnoses.
(C)
Surveillance.
(D)
Epidemiology.
(E)
Control.
(F)
Prevention.
(G)
Elimination.
(H)
Vaccination.
(I)
Any other related service or activity that reduces the risk of zoonotic disease transmission or antimicrobial resistance in humans, food, or animals.
(2)
Zoonotic disease
The term  zoonotic disease  means a disease or infection that may be transmitted naturally from vertebrate animals to humans, or from humans to vertebrate animals.
(b)
Authorization for veterinary services
The Secretary, acting through the Service, may expend funds, directly or pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act ( 25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq. ), for public health veterinary services to prevent and control zoonotic disease infection and transmission in Service areas where the risk for disease occurrence in humans and wildlife is endemic.
(c)
Public health officers; coordination
In providing public health veterinary services under subsection (b), the Secretary may—
(1)
assign or deploy veterinary public health officers from the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service to Service areas; and
(2)
coordinate and implement activities with—
(A)
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and
(B)
the Secretary of Agriculture.
(d)
Report
The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a biennial report on the use of funds, the assignment and deployment of veterinary public health officers from the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, data related to the monitoring and disease surveillance of zoonotic diseases, and related services provided under this section.
 .
4.
APHIS wildlife services study on oral rabies vaccines in Arctic regions of the United States
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct a feasibility study—
(1)
on the delivery of oral rabies vaccines to wildlife reservoir species that are directly or indirectly connected to the transmission of rabies to Tribal members living in Arctic regions of the United States; and
(2)
that—
(A)
evaluates the efficacy of the vaccines described in paragraph (1); and
(B)
makes recommendations to improve the delivery of those vaccines.
5.
One Health framework
Section 2235(b) of the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300hh–37(b) ) is amended by striking  and the Secretary of the Interior  and inserting  , the Secretary of the Interior, and the Director of the Indian Health Service .