[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5105 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 412
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5105
[Report No. 111-668, Part I]
To establish a Chief Veterinary Officer in the Department of Homeland
Security, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 21, 2010
Mr. Rogers of Alabama (for himself, Ms. Kilroy, Mr. King of New York,
Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. McCaul, Ms. Clarke, and Mr. Carney)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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
November 30, 2010
Reported from the Committee on Homeland Security with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
November 30, 2010
Referral to the Committee on Agriculture extended for a period ending
not later than December 10, 2010
December 10, 2010
Referral to the Committee on Agriculture extended for a period ending
not later than December 17, 2010
December 17, 2010
Referral to the Committee on Agriculture extended for a period ending
not later than December 21, 2010
December 21, 2010
Referral to the Committee on Agriculture extended for a period ending
not later than December 22, 2010
December 22, 2010
The Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of
the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April
21, 2010]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a Chief Veterinary Officer in the Department of Homeland
Security, 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. CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICER OF DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
(a) In General.--Title III of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6
U.S.C. 181 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:
``SEC. 317. CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICER.
``(a) In General.--There is in the Department a Chief Veterinary
Officer, who shall be appointed by the Secretary. The Chief Veterinary
Officer shall report directly to the Chief Medical Officer, unless an
individual other than the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs is
serving as the Chief Medical Officer, in which case the Chief
Veterinary Officer shall report directly to the Assistant Secretary for
Health Affairs.
``(b) Qualifications.--The individual appointed as Chief Veterinary
Officer shall be a veterinarian who possesses a demonstrated ability in
and knowledge of veterinary public health and emergency preparedness,
and other professional experience as determined by the Secretary, such
as in agriculture, food defense, and disaster medicine.
``(c) Responsibilities.--The Chief Veterinary Officer shall be the
head of the division of the Department with primary responsibility for
veterinary issues, food defense, and agriculture security, and shall
have primary responsibility within the Department for responsibilities
relating to veterinary medicine and veterinary public health, including
each of the following:
``(1) Serving as the principal authority in the Department
responsible for advising the Secretary, in coordination with
the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs, on veterinary
public health, food defense, and agricultural security issues.
``(2) Providing guidance for the health and welfare of the
Department's working animals, including those used to enhance
transportation, border, and maritime security, and for other
purposes.
``(3) Leading the Department's policy initiatives relating
to food, animal, and agricultural incidents, and the impact of
such incidents on animal and public health.
``(4) Leading the Department's policy initiatives relating
to overall domestic preparedness for and collective response to
agricultural terrorism.
``(5) Serving as the principal point of contact in the
Office of Health Affairs for all veterinary preparedness and
response research and development.
``(6) Serving as the principal point of contact in the
Office of Health Affairs for sharing homeland security
veterinary medical information with Department officials,
including all components with veterinary, food, or agricultural
interests.
``(7) Serving as the principal point of contact within the
Department with respect to veterinary homeland security issues
for the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense,
the Department of Health and Human Services, and other Federal
departments and agencies.
``(8) Serving as the principal point of contact within the
Department with respect to veterinary homeland security issues
for State, local, and tribal governments, the veterinary
community, and other entities within and outside the
Department.
``(9) Performing such other duties relating to such
responsibilities as the Secretary may require.
``(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 30 days after the last
day of each fiscal year, the Chief Veterinary Officer shall submit to
Congress a report on the state of the Department's working animals
during that fiscal year. Each such report shall include--
``(1) the number of animals in service to the Department
during the fiscal year, including the component and mission of
each such animal and the homeland security activities conducted
by such animal;
``(2) an assessment of the overall health and welfare of
the Department's working animals during the fiscal year; and
``(3) a description of the activities of the Office during
the fiscal year, including a description of any animal
initiative or program conducted during such fiscal year, and
for each such initiative or program--
``(A) the objectives of the initiative or program;
``(B) the species or genus of animals that are
subject of the initiative or program;
``(C) the amount of resources used (including
capital and human resources) for such initiative or
program;
``(D) when the initiative or program will conclude
or terminate; and
``(E) the degree of completion of the initiative or
program.
``(e) Advance Notice of Reorganization Required.--Not later than
180 days before carrying out any reorganization within the Department
that would affect any responsibility of the Chief Veterinary Officer,
the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees
a report on the proposed reorganization.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of
such Act is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to title
III the following new item:
``Sec. 317. Chief Veterinary Officer.''.
Union Calendar No. 412
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5105
[Report No. 111-668, Part I]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a Chief Veterinary Officer in the Department of Homeland
Security, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
December 22, 2010
The Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of
the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed