The SATOS Act of 2025 creates a program, run by the Secretary of Agriculture through Rural Development, to give grants and loans to eligible entities in rural areas. Eligible entities are State, local, and Tribal governments or nonprofit corporations. Funds can be used to build, expand, or renovate animal shelters, adoption centers, veterinary clinics, spay/neuter clinics, animal control operations, and emergency animal shelters. Grants and loans can also pay for equipment, furnishings, vehicles, and technology. The Secretary must set rules within 180 days and start the program within 1 year. The Secretary must report to relevant congressional agriculture committees every 2 years after the first report.
If you are part of a rural community, a local government, a Tribal government, or a nonprofit that cares for domestic animals, you could apply for money to improve or build animal care facilities. Applicants can also get funds for equipment and for technical help to plan projects or prepare applications. The program gives a higher federal share to projects in smaller or lower-income communities, up to a maximum federal share of 75 percent of project costs.
The bill sets a limit of $10,000,000 per fiscal year for grants under the construction and equipment part of the program. The federal share of a grant may not exceed 75 percent, and the Secretary must use a graduated scale to give larger shares to communities with smaller populations or lower incomes. Between 3 and 5 percent of any funds appropriated for this section must be reserved for technical assistance and training grants. The bill does not specify a total cap for loans or an overall appropriation amount; no further funding details are provided.
The bill itself states that rural areas often lack animal shelters and veterinary care, that governments, nonprofits, and Tribes play a key role in animal welfare, and that investing in animal care facilities supports public health, safety, and community well-being.
No publicly available information.