Establishing a rural veterinarian loan repayment program for veterinary students and certain licensed veterinarians and a rural veterinary care trust fund, and making appropriations

This bill establishes a rural veterinarian loan repayment program in the college student aid commission to provide loan repayments for individuals who agree to practice as licensed veterinarians in rural service commitment areas or in veterinary shortage areas in Iowa for four years, and establishes in the state treasury a rural veterinary care trust fund under the control of the commission.5 percent of the veterinarian’s total eligible loan amount upon graduation., and published by the United States department of agriculture. An individual is eligible to enter into an agreement with the commission for loan repayment if the individual is either enrolled in the final year of a veterinary degree program at an accredited college of veterinary medicine or is a licensed veterinarian who, within five years of applying for the program, received a veterinary medicine degree from an accredited college of veterinary medicine. department of agriculture, national institute of food and agriculture. To receive loan repayments, in addition to being or becoming a licensed veterinarian, the individual must secure an offer of employment or establish and maintain a practice in a veterinary shortage situation or rural service commitment area and engage in the full-time practice of veterinary medicine for a period of four consecutive years in the veterinary shortage area or rural service commitment area. The commission shall give priority to applicants who graduated from an Iowa high school or completed private instruction in Iowa. The bill also directs the commission, when possible, to enter into agreements with individuals who agree to practice in areas in the following priority order: private practice food supply veterinary medicine in any veterinary shortage area; private practice food supply veterinary medicine in a city in Iowa with a population of less than 26,000 located more than miles from a city with a population of 50,000 or more, especially in remote or economically depressed rural areas; and animal veterinary medicine in a rural service commitment area. However, the commission may consult with the state veterinarian to determine prioritization. The bill defines “practice of food supply veterinary medicine” to include corporate and private practices devoted to food animal medicine, mixed animal medicine located in a rural area, food safety, epidemiology, public health, animal health, and other public and private practices that contribute to the production of a safe and wholesome food supply. Unless the agreement stipulates otherwise, the amount of loan repayment shall not exceed $15,000 annually and shall not exceed a total of $60,000 or the amount of outstanding eligible loans, whichever amount is less. Subject to funding, the commission must enter into at least five program agreements annually. The commission may waive the requirement that the loan repayment recipient practice in the same veterinary shortage area or rural service commitment area for all four years. The bill establishes the conditions under which the service obligation may be postponed and terms for satisfaction of the service obligation. Except for a postponement for a medical condition, the service obligation shall not be postponed for more than two years. The commission is authorized to waive the requirement that the person who entered into the agreement fulfill the obligation to engage in practice. If a loan repayment recipient fails to fulfill their obligation, the recipient shall be subject to repayment of moneys paid by the commission and may also be subject to repayment of moneys advanced by the rural service commitment area. A rural veterinary care trust fund is created in the state treasury as a separate fund under the control of the commission. All moneys deposited or paid into the trust fund are appropriated and made available to the commission to be used for the program and to increase the number of veterinarians in the program and do not revert to the general fund of the state at the end of the fiscal year. The commission may accept gifts, grants, bequests, and other private contributions, as well as state or federal moneys, for deposit in the fund.