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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic |
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| 6 | 7 | | Laboratory is marking its 50th anniversary on March 6, 2017; and |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Created by the Texas Legislature in 1967, the TVMDL |
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| 8 | 9 | | is dedicated to providing veterinary diagnostic services for both |
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| 9 | 10 | | livestock and pets, with the goal of protecting the health of |
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| 10 | 11 | | animals, the safety of the public, and the commercial interests of |
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| 11 | 12 | | livestock owners; the agency is composed of two full-service |
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| 12 | 13 | | laboratories in College Station and Amarillo, opened in 1969 and |
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| 13 | 14 | | 1975 respectively, and two additional poultry laboratories in |
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| 14 | 15 | | Center and Gonzales; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, The staff of the TVMDL are trained to examine and |
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| 16 | 17 | | diagnose live and deceased animals; the agency also collects |
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| 17 | 18 | | critical laboratory data necessary to identify disease and issues |
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| 18 | 19 | | appropriate warnings to individuals and government clients; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, In 2004, the USDA selected the TVMDL to be part of |
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| 20 | 21 | | the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, a group of state and |
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| 21 | 22 | | regional laboratories that perform surveillance testing for |
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| 22 | 23 | | high-consequence agricultural and zoonotic pathogens; to that end, |
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| 23 | 24 | | Biosafety Level 3 laboratories have been built at both its College |
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| 24 | 25 | | Station and Amarillo locations, enabling staff to safely work with |
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| 25 | 26 | | and contain contagious animal disease agents; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, In its mission to serve the diagnostic needs of |
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| 27 | 28 | | animal owners and food animal industries and to facilitate the |
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| 28 | 29 | | early detection of diseases, TVMDL is committed to developing new |
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| 29 | 30 | | diagnostic tools and incorporating state-of-the-art technology; |
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| 30 | 31 | | the agency's work is made possible by its highly skilled |
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| 31 | 32 | | professional, technical, and administrative staff, as well as by |
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| 32 | 33 | | its professional relationships with the Texas A&M University |
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| 33 | 34 | | College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science, practicing |
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| 34 | 35 | | veterinarians, industry leaders, and the general public; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, A half century after its establishment, the Texas |
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| 36 | 37 | | A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory continues to promote |
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| 37 | 38 | | animal health and to protect public safety, and in so doing, it is |
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| 38 | 39 | | making important and far-reaching contributions across the Lone |
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| 39 | 40 | | Star State and beyond; now, therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 41 | 42 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Texas |
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| 42 | 43 | | A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory and extend to all |
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| 43 | 44 | | those associated with the agency sincere best wishes for continued |
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| 44 | 45 | | success with their important work; and, be it further |
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| 45 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 46 | 47 | | prepared for the TVMDL as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 47 | 48 | | House of Representatives. |
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