(a) Competitive grant program

(1) In general

The Secretary shall conduct a program of competitive grants to States for the purpose of meeting the costs of renovation, improving compliance with Federal regulations, employing faculty, acquiring equipment, and taking other action related to the improvement of schools of veterinary medicine to ensure agricultural competitiveness on a worldwide basis.

(2) Matching requirement

A State receiving a grant under paragraph (1) shall provide State matching funds equal to not less than the amount of the grant.

(b) Preference

Except with respect to the States of Alaska and Hawaii, the Secretary shall give preference in awarding grants to States which file, with their application for funds under this section, assurances satisfactory to the Secretary that—

(1) the State has established a veterinary medical training program with one or more States without colleges of veterinary medicine which consists of appropriate cooperative agreements providing for a sharing of curriculum and costs by the individual States;

(2) the clinical training of the school to be improved shall emphasize care and preventive medical programs for food animals and companion animals (including horses) which support industries of major economic importance; and

(3) the Secretary may set aside a portion of funds appropriated for the award of grants under this section and make such amounts available only for grants to eligible colleges and universities that the Secretary determines have unique capabilities for achieving the objective of full participation of minority groups in research in the Nation’s schools of veterinary medicine.


Notwithstanding clause (1) of this subsection, no State which the Secretary determines has made a reasonable effort to establish appropriate cooperative agreements shall be denied a grant or otherwise prejudiced because of its failure to establish such cooperative agreements.

(c) Apportionment and distribution of funds

Terms Used In 7 USC 3151

  • Department of Agriculture: means the United States Department of Agriculture. See 7 USC 3103
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States. See 7 USC 3103
  • State: means &mdash. See 7 USC 3103

Funds appropriated to carry out this section for any fiscal year shall be apportioned and distributed as follows:

(1) Five per centum shall be retained by the Department of Agriculture for administration, program assistance to eligible States, and program coordination.

(2) The remainder shall be apportioned and distributed by the Secretary to those States which have applied for funds under this section on such basis as the Secretary may deem appropriate.