Bill > HR2864

This bill, known as the "Veterans for Mustangs Act," amends the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to modify how wild horse and burro populations are managed on public lands. The key provision requires the Secretary of the Interior to implement humane, reversible, and non-surgical fertility control methods to manage wild horse and burro populations, with a unique focus on involving military veterans in this process. Specifically, the bill mandates that the Bureau of Land Management prioritize recruiting and training military veterans to become certified in applying immunocontraceptive vaccines, such as the PZP (Porcine Zona Pellucida) vaccine, to control animal populations. The Secretary is authorized to provide compensation to veterans participating in the certification program and can contract with trained veterans to carry out management activities, with the important stipulation that these veterans will not be considered federal employees. This approach aims to both control wild horse and burro populations more humanely and provide training and employment opportunities for military veterans.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2864/all-info