IB 

Union Calendar No. 412 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5105 

[Report No. 111–668, Part I] 

To establish a Chief Veterinary Officer in the Department of Homeland 

Security, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 21, 2010 

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama (for himself, Ms. KILROY, Mr. KING of New York, 

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. MCCAUL, Ms. CLARKE, and Mr. CARNEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on 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 

NOVEMBER 30, 2010 

Reported from the Committee on Homeland Security with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

NOVEMBER 30, 2010 

Referral to the Committee on Agriculture extended for a period ending not 

later than December 10, 2010 

DECEMBER 10, 2010 

Referral to the Committee on Agriculture extended for a period ending not 

later than December 17, 2010 

DECEMBER 17, 2010 

Referral to the Committee on Agriculture extended for a period ending not 

later than December 21, 2010 

DECEMBER 21, 2010 

Referral to the Committee on Agriculture extended for a period ending not 

later than December 22, 2010 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 5105 RH

DECEMBER 22, 2010 

The Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the 

Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 21, 2010] 

A BILL 

To establish a Chief Veterinary Officer in the Department 

of Homeland Security, and for other purposes. 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 5105 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICER OF DEPARTMENT 

4 OF HOMELAND SECURITY. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Homeland Security 

6 Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) is amended by adding 

7 at the end the following new section: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 317. CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICER. 

9 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is in the Department a 

10 Chief Veterinary Officer, who shall be appointed by the Sec11 retary. The Chief Veterinary Officer shall report directly 

12 to the Chief Medical Officer, unless an individual other than 

13 the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs is serving as the 

14 Chief Medical Officer, in which case the Chief Veterinary 

15 Officer shall report directly to the Assistant Secretary for 

16 Health Affairs. 

17 ‘‘(b) QUALIFICATIONS.—The individual appointed as 

18 Chief Veterinary Officer shall be a veterinarian who pos19 sesses a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of veteri20 nary public health and emergency preparedness, and other 

21 professional experience as determined by the Secretary, such 

22 as in agriculture, food defense, and disaster medicine. 

23 ‘‘(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Chief Veterinary Officer 

24 shall be the head of the division of the Department with 

25 primary responsibility for veterinary issues, food defense, 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 5105 RH

1 and agriculture security, and shall have primary responsi2 bility within the Department for responsibilities relating 

3 to veterinary medicine and veterinary public health, in4 cluding each of the following: 

5 ‘‘(1) Serving as the principal authority in the 

6 Department responsible for advising the Secretary, in 

7 coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Health 

8 Affairs, on veterinary public health, food defense, and 

9 agricultural security issues. 

10 ‘‘(2) Providing guidance for the health and wel11 fare of the Department’s working animals, including 

12 those used to enhance transportation, border, and 

13 maritime security, and for other purposes. 

14 ‘‘(3) Leading the Department’s policy initiatives 

15 relating to food, animal, and agricultural incidents, 

16 and the impact of such incidents on animal and pub17 lic health. 

18 ‘‘(4) Leading the Department’s policy initiatives 

19 relating to overall domestic preparedness for and col20 lective response to agricultural terrorism. 

21 ‘‘(5) Serving as the principal point of contact in 

22 the Office of Health Affairs for all veterinary pre23 paredness and response research and development. 

24 ‘‘(6) Serving as the principal point of contact in 

25 the Office of Health Affairs for sharing homeland seVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:18 Dec 23, 2010 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H5105.RH H5105

jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 5105 RH

1 curity veterinary medical information with Depart2 ment officials, including all components with veteri3 nary, food, or agricultural interests. 

4 ‘‘(7) Serving as the principal point of contact 

5 within the Department with respect to veterinary 

6 homeland security issues for the Department of Agri7 culture, the Department of Defense, the Department of 

8 Health and Human Services, and other Federal de9 partments and agencies. 

10 ‘‘(8) Serving as the principal point of contact 

11 within the Department with respect to veterinary 

12 homeland security issues for State, local, and tribal 

13 governments, the veterinary community, and other 

14 entities within and outside the Department. 

15 ‘‘(9) Performing such other duties relating to 

16 such responsibilities as the Secretary may require. 

17 ‘‘(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 30 days 

18 after the last day of each fiscal year, the Chief Veterinary 

19 Officer shall submit to Congress a report on the state of 

20 the Department’s working animals during that fiscal year. 

21 Each such report shall include— 

22 ‘‘(1) the number of animals in service to the De23 partment during the fiscal year, including the compo24 nent and mission of each such animal and the home25 land security activities conducted by such animal; 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 5105 RH

1 ‘‘(2) an assessment of the overall health and wel2 fare of the Department’s working animals during the 

3 fiscal year; and 

4 ‘‘(3) a description of the activities of the Office 

5 during the fiscal year, including a description of any 

6 animal initiative or program conducted during such 

7 fiscal year, and for each such initiative or program— 

8 ‘‘(A) the objectives of the initiative or pro9 gram; 

10 ‘‘(B) the species or genus of animals that 

11 are subject of the initiative or program; 

12 ‘‘(C) the amount of resources used (includ13 ing capital and human resources) for such ini14 tiative or program; 

15 ‘‘(D) when the initiative or program will 

16 conclude or terminate; and 

17 ‘‘(E) the degree of completion of the initia18 tive or program. 

19 ‘‘(e) ADVANCE NOTICE OF REORGANIZATION RE20 QUIRED.—Not later than 180 days before carrying out any 

21 reorganization within the Department that would affect 

22 any responsibility of the Chief Veterinary Officer, the Sec23 retary shall submit to the appropriate congressional com24 mittees a report on the proposed reorganization.’’. 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 5105 RH

1 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents in 

2 section 1(b) of such Act is amended by adding at the end 

3 of the items relating to title III the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 317. Chief Veterinary Officer.’’. 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 412 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5105 

[Report No. 111–668, Part I] 

A BILL 

To establish a Chief Veterinary Officer in the Depurposes. partment of Homeland Security, and for other 

DECEMBER 22, 2010 

The Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to 

Union and ordered to be printed the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS