II
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3263
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 27, 2010
Mr. Akaka (for himself and Mr. Ensign) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
A BILL
To establish a Chief Veterinary Officer in the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.
Chief Veterinary Officer of Department of Homeland Security
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:
Chief Veterinary Officer
In general
There is in the Department a Chief Veterinary Officer, who shall be appointed by the Secretary.
Reporting relationship
In general
The Chief Veterinary Officer shall report directly to the Chief Medical Officer.
Exception
If an individual other than the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs is serving as the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Veterinary Officer shall report directly to the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs.
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, including experience in agriculture, food defense, and disaster medicine.
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
have primary responsibility within the Department for responsibilities relating to veterinary medicine and veterinary public health, including—
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;
providing guidance for the health and welfare of the working animals of the Department, including those used to enhance transportation, border, and maritime security, and for other purposes;
leading the policy initiatives of the Department relating to—
food, animal, and agricultural incidents, and the impact of such incidents on animal and public health; and
overall domestic preparedness for and collective response to agricultural terrorism;
serving as the principal point of contact in the Office of Health Affairs for—
all veterinary preparedness and response research and development; and
sharing homeland security veterinary medical information with Department officials, including all components with veterinary, food, or agricultural interests;
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; and
State, local, and tribal governments, the veterinary community, and other entities within and outside the Department; and
performing such other duties relating to the responsibilities of the Chief Veterinary Officer as the Secretary may require.
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.
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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:
Sec. 317. Chief Veterinary Officer.
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