East Idaho Times

U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Tina Smith have reintroduced a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing the shortage of veterinary services in rural areas. The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act seeks to exempt veterinarians working in underserved regions from student loan repayments being counted as taxable income. Similar measures already exist for physicians serving in underserved areas.

Senator Crapo emphasized the importance of accessible veterinary care for the agricultural industry, stating, “By addressing the burdensome taxes on the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, this legislation would allow more veterinarians to serve in the rural and underserved communities most in need and help ensure ranchers and farmers have access to these essential veterinary services.”

This initiative is in response to the widespread shortages of veterinary professionals in rural communities, which impact both animal health and public safety. Senator Smith elaborated, “This record shortage causes serious harm to the health of animals and the public. Providing additional funding to the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program and updating the tax code to better serve veterinarians will allow more qualified vets to do vital work with our animals in underserved communities.”

Currently, the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program helps veterinarians repay student loans in exchange for service in underserved areas. However, federal withholding tax currently diminishes this program's effectiveness. The proposed legislation aims to eliminate this financial barrier, allowing veterinarians to serve in areas where their services are most needed.

Senators John Boozman, Susan Collins, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Cynthia Lummis, Jerry Moran, Jim Risch, Chris Coons, Kirsten Gillibrand, Angus King, Amy Klobuchar, and Jon Ossoff are co-sponsoring the bill. Meanwhile, Representatives Adrian Smith and John Larson have introduced a similar bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.