Title: Veterans for Mustangs Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Veterans for Mustangs Act
This bill directs the Department of the Interior to prioritize use of nonsurgical, medically safe on-range fertility controls to manage populations of wild, free-roaming horses and burros. In implementing such fertility controls, the Bureau of Land Management shall prioritize the recruitment of military veterans to train and become certified in the application of fertility controls, including the certified PZP applicator certification offered by the Science and Conservation Center's Certification Program.
Interior shall provide appropriate compensation to military veterans participating in such a certification program.
The bill authorizes Interior to contract with military veterans who have completed the training program to carry out fertility control activities.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7631 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7631

  To amend the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to direct the 
  Secretary of the Interior to implement fertility controls to manage 
 populations of wild free-roaming horses and burros, and to encourage 
    training opportunities for military veterans to assist in range 
             management activities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 2022

Mrs. McClain (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Ms. Salazar) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to direct the 
  Secretary of the Interior to implement fertility controls to manage 
 populations of wild free-roaming horses and burros, and to encourage 
    training opportunities for military veterans to assist in range 
             management activities, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans for Mustangs Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS ACT.

    Section 3(b)(2) of the Act commonly known as the Wild Free-Roaming 
Horses and Burros Act (16 U.S.C. 1333(b)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``that action is necessary'' and all that 
        follows through ``until all excess animals have been removed'' 
        and inserting ``that action is necessary to reduce the animal 
        population or remove excess animals, the Secretary shall 
        immediately take steps under this paragraph to achieve 
        appropriate management levels. Such action shall be taken, in 
        the following order and priority, until the animal population 
        has been reduced or all excess animals have been removed'';
            (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (C) as 
        subparagraphs (B) through (D), respectively; and
            (3) by inserting before subparagraph (B), as so 
        redesignated, the following:
                    ``(A) The Secretary shall implement nonsurgical, 
                medically safe on-range fertility controls to manage 
                populations of wild free-roaming horses and burros. In 
                implementing such fertility controls, the Secretary, 
                through the Bureau of Land Management, shall prioritize 
                the recruitment of military veterans to train and 
                become certified in the application of fertility 
                controls with respect to wild free-roaming horses and 
                burros, including the certified PZP applicator 
                certification offered by the Science and Conservation 
                Center's Certification Program. The Secretary shall 
                provide appropriate compensation to military veterans 
                participating in such a certification program. 
                Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
                Secretary is authorized to contract with military 
                veterans who have completed the training program under 
                this subparagraph to carry out management activities 
                under this Act. Individuals contracted with pursuant to 
                this subparagraph shall not be regarded as officers or 
                employees of the United States on the basis of such 
                contract.''.
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