Hartford Reporter

Washington, D.C. – On June 23, Reps. John Larson (D-CT), Adrian Smith (R-NE), 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.

The members released the following statements:

“Veterinarians work hard to keep our nation’s livestock healthy from right here in Connecticut all across the country,” said Rep. Larson. “Making student loan repayment programs accessible to veterinarians who choose to serve in rural communities will help alleviate disparities in coverage and guarantee the continued welfare of our livestock.”

“Veterinarians play a critical role in ensuring the health, safety, and security of our nation’s first-class food safety system,” Rep. Smith said. “The services they provide help American farmers and ranchers maintain our nation’s domestic livestock supply chain. This bill updates a tax code discrepancy to ensure like treatment for physicians and veterinarians who choose to serve where they are needed most.”

“This bill is common-sense legislation that maximizes the impact of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program by getting more of these dollars to rural America and keeping less of these dollars in Washington D.C.,” said Rep. Fischbach. “My Ways & Means colleagues and I introduced The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act to eliminate this unnecessary tax to ensure quality treatment for veterinarians in rural communities like ours so they can continue their important work caring for America’s livestock and maintaining our supply chains.”

“The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) is vital to placing veterinarians in rural communities, but the outdated system of withholding taxes limits its impact,” said Rep. Panetta. “Our bipartisan legislation would make VMLRP loan repayments exempt from withholding taxes, similar to other federal programs that put doctors in rural communities. By addressing this discrepancy in the federal tax code, we can expand the program’s reach and better address veterinary shortages in rural areas found on the Central Coast of California to the center of America."

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

“Increasing veterinary services in high-priority rural areas through the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act, would help keep the nation’s livestock healthy and our food supply safe and secure, and protect public health,” said Dr. Lori Teller, American Veterinary Medical Association President. “The AVMA has been a long-time champion of the proposed legislation. After the legislation received a historic level of support in the previous Congress, we look forward to working with the congressional champions to enact this bill and help rural communities across the country access the many essential services veterinarians provide.”

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 the bill here.

Original source can be found here.