Veterans for Mustangs Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2864 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2864

  To amend the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to direct the 
  Secretary of the Interior to implement fertility controls to manage 
 populations of wild free-roaming horses and burros, and to encourage 
    training opportunities for military veterans to assist in range 
             management activities, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 10, 2025

  Ms. Mace (for herself, Mr. Neguse, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. 
Lawler, Mr. Crow, Mr. Moolenaar, Ms. Titus, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. 
Lieu, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Mr. Gottheimer, Ms. Salazar, Mr. Tran, and 
  Mr. Cohen) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

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                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to direct the 
  Secretary of the Interior to implement fertility controls to manage 
 populations of wild free-roaming horses and burros, and to encourage 
    training opportunities for military veterans to assist in range 
             management activities, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans for Mustangs Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS ACT.

    Section 3(b)(2) of the Act commonly known as the Wild Free-Roaming 
Horses and Burros Act (16 U.S.C. 1333(b)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``that action is necessary'' and all that 
        follows through ``until all excess animals have been removed'' 
        and inserting ``that action is necessary to reduce the animal 
        population or remove excess animals, the Secretary shall 
        immediately take steps under this paragraph to achieve 
        appropriate management levels. Such action shall be taken, in 
        the following order and priority, until the animal population 
        has been reduced or all excess animals have been removed'';
            (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (C) as 
        subparagraphs (B) through (D), respectively; and
            (3) by inserting before subparagraph (B), as so 
        redesignated, the following:
                    ``(A) The Secretary shall implement humane, 
                reversible, non-surgical, medically safe on-range 
                immunocontraceptive vaccine fertility controls to 
                manage populations of wild free-roaming horses and 
                burros. In implementing such fertility controls, the 
                Secretary, through the Bureau of Land Management, shall 
                prioritize the recruitment of military veterans to 
                train and become certified in the application of 
                fertility controls with respect to wild free-roaming 
                horses and burros, including the certified PZP 
                applicator certification offered by the Science and 
                Conservation Center's Certification Program. The 
                Secretary shall provide appropriate compensation to 
                military veterans participating in such a certification 
                program. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
                the Secretary is authorized to contract with military 
                veterans who have completed the training program under 
                this subparagraph to carry out management activities 
                under this Act. Individuals contracted with pursuant to 
                this subparagraph shall not be regarded as officers or 
                employees of the United States on the basis of such 
                contract.''.
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