Smith and Kind Introduce Bill to Expand Access to Veterinarians in Rural Areas

Congressmen Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Ron Kind (D-WI) introduced H.R. 3095, the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act, today to address the shortages in essential veterinary services facing rural communities.

“The ongoing outbreak of avian flu in Nebraska and many other states, which has already cost our country’s poultry flocks more than 35 million birds, is again highlighting the importance of veterinarians in ensuring the health, safety, and security of our nation’s livestock chain,” Rep. Smith said. “Farmers and ranchers depend on veterinarians to help maintain our first class food safety system. This bill addresses a discrepancy in our outdated tax code to ease compliance for veterinarians who choose to serve where they are needed most.”

“The critical services large animal veterinarians provide to communities in western and central Wisconsin helps maintain both the safety of our food and the health and welfare of our livestock,” Rep. Kind stated. “However, there are many areas, including in much of my district, where there is a shortage of these doctors. This legislation would encourage more veterinarians to locate to the places of highest need.”

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, H.R. 3095 would provide a similar exemption for VMLRP.