Wildlife and Zoological Veterinary Medicine Enhancement Act of 2010

Bill: 111-hr-4497
Sponsor: Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [D-FL-23]
Introduced: 2010-01-21 in the House
Policy area: Animals
Subjects: Education programs funding
Employment and training programs
Endangered and threatened species
Government lending and loan guarantees
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Higher education
Medical education
Medical research
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Veterinary medicine and animal diseases
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2010-01-21
text: 
Wildlife and Zoological Veterinary Medicine Enhancement Act of 2010 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to award grants to wildlife or veterinary institutions to create additional clinical and research positions for wildlife and zoological veterinarians, with preference to institutions that will create positions in areas of need, including wildlife disease research and training, disease surveillance, ecology and wildlife population management, and conservation and management of the health of endangered, threatened, and sensitive species.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) the Wildlife and Zoological Veterinary Workforce Loan Repayment Program to repay educational loans of applicants who have received, in the previous ten years, a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine or a graduate degree in veterinary medicine after receiving such doctoral degree, or who are enrolled in an accredited school or college of veterinary medicine program that leads to such a degree, and who agree to serve for at least four consecutive years at a wildlife or veterinary institution as a wildlife or zoological veterinarian; and (2) the Wildlife and Zoological Veterinary Workforce Scholarship Program to award students enrolled in an accredited school or college of veterinary medicine scholarships for up to four years in exchange for entering a contract to serve for at least four consecutive years as wildlife or zoological veterinarians at wildlife or veterinary institutions beginning no later than four years after graduation.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a pilot program to award competitive grants to accredited schools and colleges of veterinary medicine to develop and provide new or existing curricula that specialize in wildlife or zoological veterinary medicine; and (2) award competitive grants to eligible wildlife or veterinary institutions to establish or expand training programs (i.e., externship, internship, fellowship, or residency programs) in veterinary medicine for wildlife or zoological populations, under which financial assistance will be provided to traineeship candidates (i.e., individuals who hold, or who are enrolled in a program leading to, a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-06-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
action_date: 2010-01-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife.
action_date: 2010-01-21
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2010-01-21
text: Referred to House Natural Resources
action_date: 2010-01-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Ways and Means, 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.
action_date: 2010-01-21
text: Referred to House Agriculture
action_date: 2010-01-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E73)
action_date: 2010-01-21
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-01-21
text: Introduced in House