20 U.S.C. § 1161x — School of veterinary medicine competitive grant program

(a) In general. From subsection (g) funds, the HHS Secretary must competitively grant money to eligible entities to improve public-health preparedness by increasing veterinarians in the workforce. (b) Eligible entities. An entity must (1) be (A) a public or nonprofit veterinary school accredited by a nationally recognized agency or association recognized by the Education Secretary under part H of subchapter IV; (B) a public or nonprofit comparative-medicine department, veterinary-science department, public-health school, or medical school with that accreditation and graduate veterinarian training in a public-health practice area determined by HHS; or (C) a public or nonprofit entity that (i) conducts recognized veterinarian residencies approved by an American Veterinary Medical Association-recognized specialty organization and (ii) offers postgraduate veterinarian training in an HHS-determined public-health practice area; and (2) prepare and submit the application and information HHS requires. (c) Applications. HHS must establish rigorous review and competitive awards based on (1) the applicant’s ability to increase veterinarians trained in specified public-health areas, (2) its ability to increase research capacity on high-priority disease agents, or (3) any other consideration HHS finds necessary. (d) Preference. HHS must prefer applicants showing a comprehensive approach involving more than one veterinary school, listed department or school, or residency program offering HHS-determined postgraduate public-health training. (e) Uses. Grant money must increase veterinarians through costs of expanding academic programs at veterinary schools, comparative-medicine or veterinary-science departments, residency entities, or programs offering postgraduate or concurrent veterinary-student training in specialized areas. Costs may include minor classroom, library, and laboratory renovation and improvement. (f) Definition. “Public health practice area” includes bioterrorism and emergency preparedness, environmental health, food safety and security, regulatory medicine, diagnostic laboratory medicine, and biomedical research. (g) Authorization. Congress may appropriate whatever sums are necessary for fiscal year 2009 and each of the next five fiscal years. Appropriated money remains available until spent.