Politiparty
Politiparty

119th Congress Native Americans

S. 620: Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act

Passed SenateDec 11, 2025

  1. Passed Senate (completed)Dec 11, 2025
  2. Passed House (not reached)
  3. To the President (not reached)
  4. Became law (not reached)

Summary

Introduced in Senate, Feb 18, 2025

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.

Read the full summary

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.

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.

Roll calls

0 votes on this bill

No roll call votes have been held on this bill.

Amendments

0 offered

No amendments were offered to this bill.

Cosponsors

3

Bipartisan support.

Who scored on this bill

68 points earned
  1. 1Lisa Murkowski R-AK SponsorDrew cross-party cosponsors, introduced, reported, passed Senate4 events+56
  2. 2Martin Heinrich D-NMCosponsored; cosponsored bill passed2 events+4
  3. 2Gary Peters D-MICosponsored; cosponsored bill passed2 events+4
  4. 2Brian Schatz D-HICosponsored; cosponsored bill passed2 events+4
See all scorers and every scoring event

Introductions and cosponsorships count toward weekly caps and show no points.

Other bills by Lisa Murkowski

History

  1. Dec 11, 2025Passed the Senate by unanimous consent.
  2. Feb 18, 2025Introduced in the Senate by Lisa Murkowski.
Show the full action history (10 actions)
  1. Dec 15, 2025Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  2. Dec 15, 2025Received in the House.
  3. Dec 15, 2025Held at the desk.
  4. Dec 11, 2025Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Dec 11, 2025Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8687; text: CR S8687)
  6. Sep 29, 2025Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Murkowski without amendment. With written report No. 119-69.
  7. Sep 29, 2025Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 174.
  8. Mar 5, 2025Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  9. Feb 18, 2025Introduced in Senate
  10. Feb 18, 2025Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.