Only the left has signed this so far (Bill Ranking)
S. 620 · 119th Congress (2025-2026)
4 members · Left 3 · Center 1 · Right 0 (Bill Ranking)
| Sponsor | Sen. Murkowski, Lisa (R-AK) (Introduced 02/18/2025) |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Voting Record | Center · DW-NOMINATE +0.20 · measured from every roll-call vote this member has cast (voteview.com) (Sponsor Ranking) |
| Support |
LLLCLRR support across the spectrum: 4 members signed on (Bill Ranking) this bill: sponsor + current cosponsors, each once |
| Committees | Senate - Indian Affairs Committee; Senate - Indian Affairs Committee; Senate - Indian Affairs Committee |
| Latest Action | 12/15/2025 Held at the desk. |
| Roll Call Votes | There have been no roll call votes |
| Source | view on congress.gov → |
Introduced in Senate (02/18/2025)
Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act
This bill expands support for public health veterinary services (e.g., disease surveillance or vaccination) in tribal communities to address zoonotic infectious diseases (i.e., diseases that spread between humans and animals).
Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Indian Health Service (IHS), to expend funds for public health veterinary services to prevent and control zoonotic disease infection and transmission in IHS areas where the risk for disease occurrence in humans and wildlife is endemic.
HHS may assign or deploy veterinary public health officers from the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps to IHS areas.
Additionally, HHS must submit a biennial report to Congress on the use of funds, the assignment and deployment of veterinary public health officers from the USPHS Commissioned Corps, data related to the monitoring and disease surveillance of zoonotic diseases, and related services.
The bill also includes the IHS as a coordinating agency in the National One Health Framework. (This framework addresses zoonotic diseases and advances public health preparedness in the United States.)
The bill requires the Department of Agriculture to conduct a feasibility study on the delivery of oral rabies vaccines to wildlife reservoir species that are connected to the transmission of rabies to tribal members living in Arctic regions of the United States. The study must (1) evaluate the efficacy of the oral rabies vaccines, and (2) make recommendations to improve the delivery of these vaccines.
119 S620 ES: Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act U.S. Senate text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. 119th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 620IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESAN ACTTo provide public health veterinary services to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations for rabies prevention, and for other purposes.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act.2.Sense of CongressIt is the sense of Congress that the Indian Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services is uniquely suited to empower Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to address zoonotic disease threats in the communities they serve by providing public health veterinary services through a One Health approach that recognizes the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.3.Public health veterinary servicesTitle II of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act is amended by inserting after section 223 (25 U.S.C. 1621v) the following:224.Public health veterinary services(a)DefinitionsIn this section:(1)Public health veterinary servicesThe term public health veterinary services includes any of the following:(A)Spaying and neutering services for domestic animals.(B)Diagnoses.(C)Surveillance.(D)Epidemiology.(E)Control.(F)Prevention.(G)Elimination.(H)Vaccination.(I)Any other related service or activity that reduces the risk of zoonotic disease transmission or antimicrobial resistance in humans, food, or animals.(2)Zoonotic diseaseThe term zoonotic disease means a disease or infection that may be transmitted naturally from vertebrate animals to humans, or from humans to vertebrate animals.(b)Authorization for veterinary servicesThe Secretary, acting through the Service, may expend funds, directly or pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), for public health veterinary services to prevent and control zoonotic disease infection and transmission in Service areas where the risk for disease occurrence in humans and wildlife is endemic.(c)Public health officers; coordinationIn providing public health veterinary services under subsection (b), the Secretary may—(1)assign or deploy veterinary public health officers from the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service to Service areas; and(2)coordinate and implement activities with—(A)the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and(B)the Secretary of Agriculture.(d)ReportThe Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a biennial report on the use of funds, the assignment and deployment of veterinary public health officers from the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, data related to the monitoring and disease surveillance of zoonotic diseases, and related services provided under this section..4.APHIS wildlife services study on oral rabies vaccines in Arctic regions of the United StatesNot later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct a feasibility study—(1)on the delivery of oral rabies vaccines to wildlife reservoir species that are directly or indirectly connected to the transmission of rabies to Tribal members living in Arctic regions of the United States; and(2)that—(A)evaluates the efficacy of the vaccines described in paragraph (1); and(B)makes recommendations to improve the delivery of those vaccines.5.One Health frameworkSection 2235(b) of the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh–37(b)) is amended by striking and the Secretary of the Interior and inserting , the Secretary of the Interior, and the Director of the Indian Health Service.Passed the Senate December 11, 2025.Secretary
119 S620 IS: Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act U.S. Senate 2025-02-18 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. II119th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 620IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESFebruary 18, 2025Ms. Murkowski (for herself, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Peters, and Mr. Schatz) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian AffairsA BILLTo provide public health veterinary services to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations for rabies prevention, and for other purposes.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act.2.Sense of CongressIt is the sense of Congress that the Indian Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services is uniquely suited to empower Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to address zoonotic disease threats in the communities they serve by providing public health veterinary services through a One Health approach that recognizes the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.3.Public health veterinary servicesTitle II of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act is amended by inserting after section 223 (25 U.S.C. 1621v) the following:224.Public health veterinary services(a)DefinitionsIn this section:(1)Public health veterinary servicesThe term public health veterinary services includes any of the following:(A)Spaying and neutering services for domestic animals.(B)Diagnoses.(C)Surveillance.(D)Epidemiology.(E)Control.(F)Prevention.(G)Elimination.(H)Vaccination.(I)Any other related service or activity that reduces the risk of zoonotic disease transmission or antimicrobial resistance in humans, food, or animals.(2)Zoonotic diseaseThe term zoonotic disease means a disease or infection that may be transmitted naturally from vertebrate animals to humans, or from humans to vertebrate animals.(b)Authorization for veterinary servicesThe Secretary, acting through the Service, may expend funds, directly or pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), for public health veterinary services to prevent and control zoonotic disease infection and transmission in Service areas where the risk for disease occurrence in humans and wildlife is endemic.(c)Public health officers; coordinationIn providing public health veterinary services under subsection (b), the Secretary may—(1)assign or deploy veterinary public health officers from the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service to Service areas; and(2)coordinate and implement activities with—(A)the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and(B)the Secretary of Agriculture.(d)ReportThe Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a biennial report on the use of funds, the assignment and deployment of veterinary public health officers from the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, data related to the monitoring and disease surveillance of zoonotic diseases, and related services provided under this section..4.APHIS wildlife services study on oral rabies vaccines in Arctic regions of the United StatesNot later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct a feasibility study—(1)on the delivery of oral rabies vaccines to wildlife reservoir species that are directly or indirectly connected to the transmission of rabies to Tribal members living in Arctic regions of the United States; and(2)that—(A)evaluates the efficacy of the vaccines described in paragraph (1); and(B)makes recommendations to improve the delivery of those vaccines.5.One Health frameworkSection 2235(b) of the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh–37(b)) is amended by striking and the Secretary of the Interior and inserting , the Secretary of the Interior, and the Director of the Indian Health Service.
119 S620 RS: Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act U.S. Senate 2025-09-29 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. IICalendar No. 174119th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 620[Report No. 119–69]IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESFebruary 18, 2025Ms. Murkowski (for herself, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Peters, and Mr. Schatz) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian AffairsSeptember 29, 2025Reported by Ms. Murkowski, without amendmentA BILLTo provide public health veterinary services to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations for rabies prevention, and for other purposes.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act.2.Sense of CongressIt is the sense of Congress that the Indian Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services is uniquely suited to empower Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to address zoonotic disease threats in the communities they serve by providing public health veterinary services through a One Health approach that recognizes the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.3.Public health veterinary servicesTitle II of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act is amended by inserting after section 223 (25 U.S.C. 1621v) the following:224.Public health veterinary services(a)DefinitionsIn this section:(1)Public health veterinary servicesThe term public health veterinary services includes any of the following:(A)Spaying and neutering services for domestic animals.(B)Diagnoses.(C)Surveillance.(D)Epidemiology.(E)Control.(F)Prevention.(G)Elimination.(H)Vaccination.(I)Any other related service or activity that reduces the risk of zoonotic disease transmission or antimicrobial resistance in humans, food, or animals.(2)Zoonotic diseaseThe term zoonotic disease means a disease or infection that may be transmitted naturally from vertebrate animals to humans, or from humans to vertebrate animals.(b)Authorization for veterinary servicesThe Secretary, acting through the Service, may expend funds, directly or pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), for public health veterinary services to prevent and control zoonotic disease infection and transmission in Service areas where the risk for disease occurrence in humans and wildlife is endemic.(c)Public health officers; coordinationIn providing public health veterinary services under subsection (b), the Secretary may—(1)assign or deploy veterinary public health officers from the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service to Service areas; and(2)coordinate and implement activities with—(A)the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and(B)the Secretary of Agriculture.(d)ReportThe Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a biennial report on the use of funds, the assignment and deployment of veterinary public health officers from the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, data related to the monitoring and disease surveillance of zoonotic diseases, and related services provided under this section..4.APHIS wildlife services study on oral rabies vaccines in Arctic regions of the United StatesNot later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct a feasibility study—(1)on the delivery of oral rabies vaccines to wildlife reservoir species that are directly or indirectly connected to the transmission of rabies to Tribal members living in Arctic regions of the United States; and(2)that—(A)evaluates the efficacy of the vaccines described in paragraph (1); and(B)makes recommendations to improve the delivery of those vaccines.5.One Health frameworkSection 2235(b) of the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh–37(b)) is amended by striking and the Secretary of the Interior and inserting , the Secretary of the Interior, and the Director of the Indian Health Service.September 29, 2025Reported without amendment
The bill's own words, from our database (synced from the GPO BILLS XML); paragraph breaks added at the bill's section boundaries, nothing else changed.
| Date | Chamber | All Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 02/18/2025 | Library of Congress | Introduced in Senate |
| 02/18/2025 | Senate | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. |
| 03/05/2025 | Senate | Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably. |
| 09/29/2025 | Library of Congress | Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Murkowski without amendment. With written report No. 119-69. |
| 09/29/2025 | Senate | Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Murkowski without amendment. With written report No. 119-69. |
| 09/29/2025 | Senate | Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 174. |
| 12/11/2025 | Library of Congress | Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. |
| 12/11/2025 | Senate | Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8687; text: CR S8687) |
| 12/15/2025 | Senate | Message on Senate action sent to the House. |
| 12/15/2025 | House floor actions | Received in the House. |
| 12/15/2025 | House floor actions | Held at the desk. |
| Title Type | Title |
|---|---|
| Display Title | Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act |
| Short Title(s) as Passed Senate | Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act |
| Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate | Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act |
| Short Title(s) as Introduced | Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act |
| Official Title as Introduced | A bill to provide public health veterinary services to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations for rabies prevention, and for other purposes. |
There are no amendments to this bill.
* = Original cosponsor
| Committee | Activity |
|---|---|
| Senate - Indian Affairs Committee | 09/29/2025 Reported By |
| Senate - Indian Affairs Committee | 03/05/2025 Markup By |
| Senate - Indian Affairs Committee | 02/18/2025 Referred To |
Policy Area: Native Americans
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