What This Bill Does
This bill changes how the government manages wild horses and burros on public lands. It requires the Secretary of the Interior to use fertility controls (methods to reduce breeding) to manage these animal populations and creates training opportunities for military veterans to help with this work.
Who It Affects
The Secretary of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management (the government agency that manages public lands). Military veterans interested in training. Wild horses and burros on public lands.
Key Provisions
• The Secretary must use nonsurgical, medically safe fertility control methods applied on the range to manage wild horse and burro populations. (Sec. 2(1)(D))
• The Bureau of Land Management must prioritize recruiting military veterans to train and become certified in applying fertility controls, including a certification called PZP applicator offered by the Science and Conservation Center's Certification Program. (Sec. 2(1)(D))
• The Secretary must pay military veterans appropriate compensation for participating in the certification training program. (Sec. 2(1)(D))
• The Secretary can contract with military veterans who complete the training to carry out management activities, and these veterans are not considered U.S. government employees based on their contract work. (Sec. 2(1)(D))
What Changes
The government shifts from a different approach to managing wild horses and burros to prioritizing fertility controls applied directly on the range. The law creates a new pathway for military veterans to get trained and paid work in this management.
Important Definitions
Fertility controls: Nonsurgical, medically safe methods to reduce breeding in wild horses and burros. PZP applicator: A specific certification for applying fertility control offered by the Science and Conservation Center's Certification Program.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 726
To amend the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to implement fertility controls to manage popu-
lations of wild free-roaming horses and burros, and to encourage training
opportunities for military veterans to assist in range management activi-
ties, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 1, 2023
Mrs. MCCLAIN (for herself, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Ms. TITUS, Mr. MOORE
of Alabama, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Ms.
MACE, Mr. MOOLENAAR, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. MALLIOTAKIS, Mr.
NEGUSE, Mr. DOGGETT, and Mr. CARTER of Georgia) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To amend the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act
to direct the Secretary of the Interior to implement fer-
tility controls to manage populations of wild free-roaming
horses and burros, and to encourage training opportuni-
ties for military veterans to assist in range management
activities, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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•HR 726 IH
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans for Mustangs
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Act’’.
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SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE WILD FREE-ROAMING
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HORSES AND BURROS ACT.
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Section 3 of the Act commonly known as the Wild
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Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (16 U.S.C. 1333)
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is amended—
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(1) in subsection (b)(2)—
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(A) by striking ‘‘that action is necessary’’
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and all that follows through ‘‘until all excess
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animals have been removed’’ and inserting
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‘‘that action is necessary to reduce the animal
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population or remove excess animals, the Sec-
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retary shall immediately take steps under this
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paragraph to achieve appropriate management
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levels. Such action shall be taken, in the fol-
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lowing order and priority, until the animal pop-
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ulation has been reduced or all excess animals
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have been removed’’;
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(B) by striking subparagraphs (A) and
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(C);
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(C) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘;
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and’’ and inserting a period; and
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(D) by inserting before subparagraph (B)
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the following:
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•HR 726 IH
‘‘(A) The Secretary shall implement non-
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surgical, medically safe on-range fertility con-
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trols to manage populations of wild free-roam-
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ing horses and burros. In implementing such
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fertility controls, the Secretary, through the
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Bureau of Land Management, shall prioritize
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the recruitment of military veterans to train
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and become certified in the application of fer-
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tility controls with respect to wild free-roaming
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horses and burros, including the certified PZP
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applicator certification offered by the Science
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and Conservation Center’s Certification Pro-
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gram. The Secretary shall provide appropriate
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compensation to military veterans participating
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in such a certification program. Notwith-
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standing any other provision of law, the Sec-
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retary is authorized to contract with military
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veterans who have completed the training pro-
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gram under this subparagraph to carry out
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management activities under this Act. Individ-
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uals contracted with pursuant to this subpara-
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graph shall not be regarded as officers or em-
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ployees of the United States on the basis of
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such contract.’’; and
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(2) in subsection (d)—
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•HR 726 IH
(A) by striking paragraph (3); and
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(B) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and
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(5) as paragraphs (3) and (4) respectively.
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Æ
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