TITLE II—WILDLIFE AND ZOO-
LOGICAL VETERINARY MEDI-
CINE EDUCATIONAL DEVEL-
OPMENT 
SEC. 201. GRANTS TO ACCREDITED SCHOOLS AND COL-
LEGES OF VETERINARY MEDICINE FOR CUR-
RICULA IN WILDLIFE AND ZOOLOGICAL VET-
ERINARY MEDICINE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall es-
tablish a pilot program to award grants to accredited 
schools and colleges of veterinary medicine to develop or 
improve new or existing curricula that specialize in wildlife 
or zoological veterinary medicine, to be available to veteri-
nary students in the final years of a program for which 
the accredited schools or colleges of veterinary medicine 
award a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a grant under 
this section, an accredited school or college of veterinary 
medicine shall submit to the Secretary a proposal— 
(1) at such time and in such form and manner 
as the Secretary may require; and 
(2) containing such information as the Sec-
retary may require, including a description of— 
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(A) the proposed curriculum in wildlife or 
zoological veterinary medicine under subsection 
(a); and 
(B) how the accredited school or college of 
veterinary medicine will use funds provided 
under the grant. 
(c) AWARD.—The Secretary shall establish proce-
dures to ensure that proposals are rigorously reviewed and 
that grants are competitively awarded. 
(d) AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall determine the 
amount of a grant awarded to an accredited school or col-
lege of veterinary medicine under this section, taking into 
account such factors as the Secretary considers appro-
priate, including— 
(1) the contents of the proposal submitted by 
the eligible accredited school or college of veterinary 
medicine under subsection (b); and 
(2) the number of grants available to all accred-
ited schools or colleges of veterinary medicine. 
(e) USE
OF GRANT FUNDS.—Amounts received 
under a grant under this section shall be used to pay ex-
penses related to the curriculum described in subsection 
(b)(2)(A) that are determined by the Secretary to be ap-
propriate, including the expense of— 
(1) developing the curriculum; 
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(2) paying for the costs associated with the de-
velopment of the curriculum, including faculty sala-
ries and the costs of acquisition of material and 
equipment; and 
(3) providing the curriculum. 
(f) REPORTS.— 
(1) GRANTEES.—At the end of each calendar 
year, each school that has received a grant under 
this section for such year shall submit to the Sec-
retary a report, in such form and manner and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may re-
quire, on the effectiveness of the curriculum devel-
oped by the school. 
(2) SECRETARY.—Not later than 6 months 
after completion of the pilot program established 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall evaluate 
the curriculum developed by each school that has re-
ceived a grant under this section and submit to Con-
gress a report on the pilot program— 
(A) in such form and manner as Congress 
may require; and 
(B) containing such information as Con-
gress may require, including— 
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(i) the names of the accredited schools 
and colleges of veterinary medicine that re-
ceived a grant under this section; 
(ii) the number of students enrolled in 
each curriculum developed with grant 
funds; 
(iii) a description of each curriculum 
developed with grant funds; 
(iv) an assessment of the effectiveness 
of the pilot program; and 
(v) the recommendations of the Sec-
retary regarding the extension or expan-
sion of the pilot program. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021. 
Amounts appropriated under this subsection are author-
ized to remain available until expended. 
SEC. 202. GRANTS TO DEVELOP TRAINING PROGRAMS IN 
WILDLIFE AND ZOOLOGICAL VETERINARY 
MEDICINE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award com-
petitive grants to eligible wildlife or veterinary institutions 
to establish or expand, for traineeship candidates, training 
programs that will enhance the ability of a trainee to prac-
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tice as a wildlife or zoological veterinarian, as determined 
by the Secretary of the Interior. Such training programs 
may include externship, internship, fellowship, or resi-
dency programs. 
(b) ELIGIBLE WILDLIFE OR VETERINARY INSTITU-
TION.—To be eligible for a grant under this section, a 
wildlife or veterinary institution shall submit to the Sec-
retary a proposal designed to create or expand one or more 
training programs for traineeship candidates. The pro-
posal— 
(1) shall be submitted at such time and in such 
form and manner as the Secretary may require; and 
(2) shall contain such information as the Sec-
retary may require, including a description of— 
(A) each training program to be created or 
expanded; 
(B) the skills to be imparted by each train-
ing program; 
(C) how the wildlife or veterinary institu-
tion will use the funds provided under a grant; 
and 
(D) how each training program will help a 
trainee advance conservation and management 
goals for wildlife or zoological animal popu-
lations. 
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(c) CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS.— 
(1) PREFERENCE.—In awarding a grant under 
this section, the Secretary shall give preference to an 
eligible wildlife or veterinary institution offering a 
training program— 
(A) at rotating sites, particularly in the 
case of a residency program; and 
(B) under which trainees conduct research 
and teach veterinary students. 
(2) PROCEDURES.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish procedures to ensure that proposals are rigor-
ously reviewed and that grants are competitively 
awarded. 
(d) TRAINEESHIP CANDIDATE.—For purposes of this 
section, an individual shall be treated as a traineeship can-
didate if the individual— 
(1) is a citizen of the United States, a national, 
or a lawful permanent resident; 
(2) expresses a profound interest in wildlife or 
zoological veterinary medicine and a commitment to 
becoming a wildlife or zoological veterinarian; and 
(3) has submitted to a wildlife or veterinary in-
stitution offering a training program under sub-
section (a) an application for the training program 
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containing such information as may be required by 
the wildlife or veterinary institution. 
(e) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE UNDER TRAINING PRO-
GRAM.—Under a training program, a trainee shall, for the 
duration of the training program, be provided with— 
(1) a stipend, in an amount based on criteria 
to be determined by the wildlife or veterinary insti-
tution, including— 
(A) the type and length of the training 
program; 
(B) the responsibilities assigned to the 
trainee as part of the training program; 
(C) the academic level or degree held by 
the trainee; and 
(D) the relevant experience of the trainee; 
and 
(2) such other financial assistance as the wild-
life or veterinary institution determines necessary 
and is approved by the Secretary. 
(f) APPROVAL
OF PLACEMENT UNDER TRAINING 
PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—No traineeship candidate 
shall be placed in a training program without the 
approval of the Secretary. 
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(2) NOTICE.—A traineeship candidate shall be 
informed of placement in a training program upon 
approval by the Secretary. 
(g) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—The Secretary shall deter-
mine the amount of a grant awarded under this section 
for a training program, taking into account such factors 
as the Secretary considers appropriate, including— 
(1) the type of training that the wildlife or vet-
erinary institution desires to create or expand; 
(2) the contents of the proposal submitted by 
the wildlife or veterinary institution under subsection 
(b); and 
(3) the number of grants available to all wildlife 
or veterinary institutions. 
(h) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.—Under this section, 
amounts received under a grant shall be applied to such 
costs as the Secretary considers appropriate for the plan-
ning, development, and operation of the training program, 
including the costs associated with— 
(1) the development of the curriculum to be 
used in the program; 
(2) practicum experiences; 
(3) the acquisition of new equipment; and 
(4) the stipend and other financial assistance 
provided to the trainee under subsection (e). 
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(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021. 
Amounts appropriated under this subsection are author-
ized to remain available until expended. 
Æ 
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