grants to establish or expand schools of veterinary medicine

grants to establish or expand schools of veterinary medicine Sec. 1415. (a) The Secretary shall conduct a program of grants to States for the purpose of meeting the costs of construction, employing faculty, acquiring equipment, and taking other action relating to the initial establishment and initial operation of schools of veterinary medicine, or the expansion of existing schools of veterinary medicine, as determined by the Secretary by regulations. This grant program shall be based on a matching formula of 50 per centum Federal and 50 per centum State funding. (b) 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, or has made a reasonable effort to establish, 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; and (2) the clinical training of the school to be established or expanded shall emphasize care and preventive medical programs for food-producing animals. 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) Funds appropriated to carry out this section for any fiscal year shall be apportioned and distributed as follows: (1) Four per centum shall be retained by the Department of Agriculture for administration, program assistance to eligible States, and program coordination. 91 STAT. 994 (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: Provided, That not less than 50 per centum of such funds shall be made available to States which have accredited schools of veterinary medicine.