Smith, Larson, Fischbach, Panetta Reintroduce Bill to Expand Access to Veterinarians in Rural Areas

Washington, DC - Today Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE), John Larson (D-CT), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act, legislation to help address the shortages in essential veterinary services facing rural communities.

Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

The members released the following statements:

"Veterinarians are vital to the work of Americas farmers and ranchers and the integrity of our food supply chain. Yet many areas of the country suffer from lack of access to their services," said Rep. Smith. "This bipartisan bill would make commonsense tax relief available to veterinarians who choose to live and work in the communities which need their help to care for their livestock and protect the agriculture industry from pests and disease. I thank my colleagues for joining me to reintroduce it."

"Veterinarians are essential not just to the health of our beloved pets, but the well-being of livestock and the safety of our food supply in Connecticut and across the country," said Rep. Larson. "By expanding access to veterinarian student loan reimbursement, our bipartisan legislation will help alleviate care disparities for livestock in our rural communities and make it more affordable for students to pursue a veterinary career path."

"The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act will eliminate unnecessary taxes to ensure quality treatment for veterinarians in rural communities like those in Minnesota's Seventh District so they can continue their important work caring for America's livestock and maintaining our supply chains," said Rep. Fischbach. "I am proud to introduce this legislation with my Ways and Means colleagues to maximize the impact of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program for rural America."

"Rural communities across the country continue to face shortages of veterinarians, putting strain on farmers, ranchers, and our food supply," said Rep. Panetta. "The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act would fix an outdated tax policy that limits the impact of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program by making those loan repayments tax-exempt. By strengthening this program, we can ensure rural areas throughout the country have access to the veterinary care they need."

Additional cosponsors of the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act include: Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), David Rouzer (R-NC), Mike Carey (R-OH), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Don Davis (D-NC), Trent Kelly (R-MS), Brad Finstad (R-MN), and Betty McCollum (D-MN)

The legislation is supported by the American Veterinary Medial Association (AVMA). AVMA released the following statement on the legislation:

"Recruiting and retaining veterinarians through the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act is key to protecting our nation's food supply, preserving animal welfare, and upholding public health," said Dr. Sandra Faeh, AVMA President. "Livestock and public health veterinarians are essential to strengthening the nation's animal health infrastructure and agricultural economy. We urge Congress to address this increasingly important issue by passing the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act."

The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) provides student loan reimbursement to veterinarians who chose to practice for three years in federally designated shortage areas. A similar program, the National Health Service Corps, provides loan repayments to medical doctors and other human health practitioners.

Despite the similarity of these programs, National Health Service Corps loan repayments are exempt from federal withholding tax, while VMLRP payments are not. To address this inconsistency, The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act would codify a similar exemption for VMLRP.

Read text of the bill here.

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