Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2014

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1528) to amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow a veterinarian to transport and dispense controlled substances in the usual course of veterinary practice outside of the registered location, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to include an exchange of letters between the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on the Judiciary.

House of Representatives,

Committee on the Judiciary,

Washington, DC, April 28, 2014.

Hon. Fred Upton,

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Upton, On April 3, 2014, the Committee on

Energy and Commerce ordered reported H.R. 1528, the

``Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2013.'' As you know,

the Committee on the Judiciary was given an additional

referral on this measure upon introduction. As a result of

your having consulted with the Judiciary Committee concerning

provisions of the bill that fall within our Rule X

jurisdiction, I too agree to discharge the Committee on the

Judiciary from further consideration of H.R. 1528.

The Judiciary Committee takes this action with our mutual

understanding that, by foregoing consideration of H.R. 1528

at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the

subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and

that our committee will be appropriately consulted and

involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward.

Our committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of

an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate

conference involving this or similar legislation, and

requests your support for any such request.

Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter

confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 1528, and

would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this

matter be included in the Congressional Record during

consideration of the legislation on the House floor.

Sincerely,

Bob Goodlatte,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1528, the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2014, introduced by Representative Kurt Schrader of Oregon.

This is a commonsense bill that is supported by the veterinary community and will bring clarity to the sometimes conflicting guidance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the DEA, relative to the Controlled Substances Act and the ability of a licensed veterinarian to transport and dispense controlled substances in the usual course of veterinary practice outside of the registered location. Simply put, the bill allows veterinarians to legally carry and dispense controlled substances in the field.

This bill has a direct impact on my district--home of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center. Vets are often required to provide ambulatory services in the field, especially in rural areas and for the care of large animals such as cows or horses. Sometimes it is not feasible for owners to bring the animals to a hospital or a clinic like New Bolton Center, and so vets provide essential house call visits.

Clarification of the law is necessary to allow vets to transport, administer, and dispense controlled substances outside of their registered location whether to provide pain management, anesthesia, or euthanasia. Passage of this important legislation will allow veterinarians the complete ability to provide care to their animal patients beyond their clinics. This will protect the health and welfare of the Nation's animals, ensure public safety, and safeguard the Nation's food supply.

A companion bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent on January 8, 2014. H.R. 1528 includes 185 cosponsors and is supported by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the ASPCA, the American Animal Hospital Association, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, and a veterinary coalition coordinated by the AVMA of over 110 organizations.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this important bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho), who is a veterinarian himself.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to ask all of the Members to support this commonsense bill that is on behalf of the life and safety of our animal patients and the safety of our food supply.

I urge bipartisan support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this really was a truly bipartisan, bicameral effort, including, as you have already heard, an impressive coalition ranging from the American Farm Bureau and the ASPCA down to all 50 State veterinary medical associations.

It is nice, I think the public should be reminded, that while we have great differences in this body on many issues, there are also a lot of issues we agree on. I think this first 6 months

has been a very productive session for this Congress, and this particular bill I think is noteworthy.

It is a little bit of a shame we are actually here in the early stages of the Drug Enforcement Agency's efforts to control the distribution and abuse of controlled substances. They issued a very blanket type of rule that, unfortunately, scooped up veterinary medicine and animals. We have been able to avoid this issue for many, many years. It is one of those where for the last 100-150 years veterinarians have gone out to the farms and ranches--nowadays, even within the cities, going home to home with mobile veterinary clinics-- making sure those patients got the care with the appropriate medication that they deserve to be treated humanely.

DEA, in its exuberance, unfortunately, was unwilling to grant a waiver, a commonsense waiver, administratively, and forced Congressman Yoho and myself to go to a statutory change--lots of taxpayer money, lots of time by the committees. But it, unfortunately, is necessary. The good news I think for America is that common sense does prevail a lot of times in this great Congress. As alluded to, they have over 185 cosponsors of this legislation, the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act, allowing veterinarians simply to do what they have done before, which is carry controlled substances safely to treat, dispense, and protect their patients in the field.

I think America would wonder why we are here. I think America is glad we are here, making sure that their pets, their livestock, get the care and treatment they need so they can have safe food and fiber and take care of the pets that they love and live with on a daily basis.

I am not going to go into the bill itself. I think Mr. Pitts did an excellent job of outlining things, as did Mr. Green.

I want to make sure I recognize a few folks that have been critical in the role here getting this to the floor. First and foremost, my good friend and colleague, Ted Yoho from Florida, and his right-hand man, Larry Calhoun, did a yeoman's job making sure this was a good bipartisan effort; Chairman Goodlatte and his staff for their unwavering support throughout the process; Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Peterson were invaluable--as a matter of fact, I think we had all but four members of the Agriculture Committee sign on, Republican, Democrat, city, rural; this is a great bill--Senators Moran and King for their efforts on the Senate side; Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Waxman on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

And finally, I extend my personal gratitude and a very special thank you to Dr. Ashley Morgan at the American Veterinary Medical Association for her tireless efforts through several years' worth of time to make sure that this bill actually got to the floor and got the vote that our animal friends actually deserve and, frankly, on behalf of all veterinarians in this great country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of H.R. 1528, the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act.

I want to thank my colleagues--Chairman Upton, Chairman Goodlatte, and Mr. Pitts--for helping to bring this important measure to the floor, and a special thank you to my friend and fellow vet, Kurt Schrader. I also want to thank the Senate for unanimously passing this important piece of legislation out of that Chamber.

I spent over 30 years in the veterinary profession, and the passage of this bill will allow for the continued use of drugs necessary to perform the work we do for our four-legged patients. The animals I have helped on ranches and in the field have no voice of their own, and they require a certain degree of service that only veterinarians can provide.

Vets must have the ability to treat animals on-site and in the field. Limit that ability and you hurt a profession, you cripple ranchers across the country, and, most of all, you unfairly restrict lifesaving treatments for the animals, the patients, who need them the most. Imagine what it would be if the cattle ranchers were required to bring their cattle in or the horse owners to bring their horse to the vet every time they needed services. It directly affects their patient and their livelihood.

My friends, take it from me, I have practiced veterinary medicine in the field. If anything, we need more vets in the field, not less. This bill simply allows those in our profession to continue to do the lifesaving work that we were trained to do on the animals that so badly require it.

Join me in voting for this commonsense measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 1528, the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act.

This bipartisan legislation will permit veterinarians to treat animals in the most appropriate setting. This is particularly important for veterinarians when responding to emergencies, treating livestock and wildlife, or working in rural areas.

H.R. 1528 amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow veterinarians to legally carry and administer controlled substances in States in which they are licensed so they can provide care at the location of the animal patient.

The Senate unanimously passed a companion bill, and I am pleased the House is voting on this important legislation. Veterinarians must be able to legally provide complete veterinary care in a way that best protects animal welfare and public safety.

I would like to thank the sponsors, both Representative Kurt Schrader and Ted Yoho. I would also like to acknowledge the leadership of Chairman Upton, Chairman Pitts, Ranking Member Waxman, Ranking Member Pallone, and the work of the committee's staff in advancing this bill through the Energy and Commerce Committee and bringing it to the floor today.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1528, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to my colleague from Oregon, Congressman Schrader.

Mr. Speaker, we have no other speakers, and we are prepared to close.

I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 458, H.R. 1528.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.