I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3519 
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 31, 2009 
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska (for himself, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. BACA, Mr. 
CONAWAY, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. LATHAM, Mr. LUCAS, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, 
Mr. MASSA, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. 
SCHRADER, Mr. WALZ, Mr. THORNBERRY, Mrs. LUMMIS, Mr. 
NEUGEBAUER, Mr. SCHOCK, and Mr. LATTA) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
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 Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterinarian Services 
Investment Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. VETERINARY SERVICES 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 new section: 
‘‘SEC. 1415B. VETERINARY SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) 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 eligi-
ble for a grant under this subsection, a qualified en-
tity must carry out programs or activities that the 
Secretary determines will— 
‘‘(A) substantially relieve veterinary short-
age situations; 
‘‘(B) support or facilitate private veteri-
nary practices engaged in public health activi-
ties; or 
‘‘(C) support or facilitate practices of vet-
erinarians who are participating in or have suc-
cessfully completed a service requirement under 
section 1415A. 
‘‘(b) AWARD PROCESSES AND PREFERENCES.— 
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‘‘(1) APPLICATION, EVALUATION, AND
INPUT 
PROCESSES.—In administrating the grant program 
under this section, the Secretary shall use an appro-
priate application and evaluation process and seek 
the input of interested person. 
‘‘(2) GRANT PREFERENCES.—In selecting quali-
fied 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 re-
gional veterinary organization, a specialty 
board, or veterinary medical association 
recognized by the American Veterinary 
Medical Association; 
‘‘(ii) the applicable accredited veteri-
nary education institution, or accredited 
department of veterinary science, or de-
partment of comparative medicine; or 
‘‘(iii) the applicable State veterinarian 
or animal health official (or its equivalent); 
and 
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‘‘(B) will use the grant funds to help to 
meet veterinary workforce or food protection 
needs. 
‘‘(3) 
ADDITIONAL
PREFERENCES.—When 
awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
may develop additional preferences by taking into 
account the amount of funds available for grants as 
well as the purposes for which the grant funds will 
be used. 
‘‘(4) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS.— 
Sections 1413B, 1462(a), 1469(a)(3), and 1469(c) 
shall apply to the administration of the grant pro-
gram under this section. 
‘‘(c) COST-SHARING REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) RECIPIENT
SHARE.—A grant recipient 
shall provide matching non-Federal funds, either in 
cash or in-kind support, in an amount equal to not 
less than 50 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. 
‘‘(d) USE
OF GRANT TO RELIEVE VETERINARY 
SHORTAGE
SITUATIONS
AND
SUPPORT
VETERINARY 
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SERVICES.—Funds provided by grants under this section 
may be used for the following purposes to relieve veteri-
nary shortage situations and support veterinary services: 
‘‘(1) Grants to promote recruitment, placement, 
and retention of veterinarians, veterinary techni-
cians, students of veterinary medicine, and students 
of veterinary technology. 
‘‘(2) Grants to assist veterinarians with estab-
lishing or expanding practices for the purpose of 
equipping veterinary offices, sharing in the overhead 
costs of such practices, or to the establishment of 
mobile veterinary facilities where at least a portion 
of such facilities will address education or extension 
needs. 
‘‘(3) Financial assistance for veterinary stu-
dents, veterinary interns, externs, fellows, and resi-
dents, 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 ac-
credited veterinary education programs, veterinary 
residency and fellowship programs or veterinary in-
ternship and externship programs in coordination 
with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine. 
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‘‘(5) Programs for tele-veterinary medicine 
where such practices shall at least in part 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 the preceding paragraphs. 
‘‘(7) Assessments of veterinarian shortage situ-
ations and preparation of applications for designa-
tion as a shortage situation. 
‘‘(8) Programs in continuing education and ex-
tension, including distance-based education, for vet-
erinarians, veterinary technicians, and other health 
professionals needed to strengthen veterinary pro-
grams and enhance food safety. 
‘‘(9) Faculty recruitment and retention pro-
grams at accredited colleges of veterinary medicine. 
‘‘(10) Programs, in coordination with univer-
sities or local educational agencies, to encourage stu-
dents in secondary schools to pursue a career in vet-
erinary medicine or science professions. 
‘‘(e) 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, re-
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modeling, or alteration of an existing building of facility, 
including site grading and improvement and architect fees. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) VETERINARIAN
SHORTAGE
SITUATION.— 
The term ‘veterinarian shortage situation’ means a 
veterinarian shortage situation determined by the 
Secretary under section 1415A(b). 
‘‘(2) QUALIFIED ENTITY.—The term ‘qualified 
entity’ means the following: 
‘‘(A) A for-profit or nonprofit entity lo-
cated in the United States that operates a vet-
erinary clinic providing veterinary services— 
‘‘(i) in a rural area, as defined in sec-
tion 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 rec-
ognized by the American Veterinary Medical 
Association. 
‘‘(C) A college or school of veterinary med-
icine accredited by the American Veterinary 
Medical Association. 
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‘‘(D) A university research foundation or 
veterinary medical foundation. 
‘‘(E) A department of veterinary science or 
department of comparative medicine accredited 
by the Department of Education. 
‘‘(F) A State agricultural experiment sta-
tion. 
‘‘(G) A State, local, or tribal government 
agency. 
‘‘(g) 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 2012 and each fiscal year thereafter.’’. 
Æ 
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