By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

Congressional lawmakers are working to help attract and retain veterinarians in rural America with the reintroduction of the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act.

The bill aims to ease the financial burden for veterinarians who commit to working in underserved rural communities by exempting student loan repayments from taxable income.

“Rural communities across the country continue to face shortages of veterinarians, putting strain on farmers, ranchers, and our food supply,” said U.S. Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA),  one of the bill’s authors. “The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act would fix an outdated tax policy that limits the impact of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program by making those loan repayments tax-exempt.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.”

The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program provides student loan reimbursement to veterinarians who chose to practice for three years in federally designated shortage areas.

However, the program’s impact is limited by a substantial federal withholding tax, which reduces the overall benefit to participating veterinarians. The proposed legislation would eliminate that tax burden, making it more financially viable for veterinarians to serve in rural communities that often struggle to attract essential animal care services.

“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,” Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith, co-sponsor of the bill, said. “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.”

More than 30 counties in Texas are designated as veterinary shortage areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The legislation is supported by Texas Farm Bureau.

“The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act is a crucial step towards ensuring our rural communities have access to essential veterinary services,” says Laramie Adams, Associate Director of Government Affairs at Texas Farm Bureau. “This bill not only supports our farmers and ranchers but also strengthens the integrity of our food supply chain. We commend Senators Crapo and Tina Smith, as well as Representatives Jason Smith, Larson, Fischbach, and Panetta, for their leadership in addressing this critical need.”

Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE), John Larson (D-CT), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the legislation.  Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

Additional cosponsors of the legislation include U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra, Melanie Stansbury, David Rouzer, Mike Carey, Nikki Budzinski, Chrissy Houlahan, Don Davis, Trent Kelly, Brad Finstad and Betty McCollum.

Read the bill here.