Bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate July 21 proposes to eliminate taxes on government programs that encourage veterinarians to practice in underserved areas.
The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act (S. 3621) aims to alleviate a shortage of veterinarians working in rural areas by making the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program tax exempt, thereby increasing the number of veterinarians who can participate in the program.
Introduced by Democrat Tim Johnson of South Dakota and Republican Mike Crapo of Idaho, S. 3621 would also apply to similar state programs that encourage veterinarians to practice in underserved communities.
Nationwide, 500 counties have at least 5,000 farm animals but no veterinarians in the area to treat them, according to the AVMA, which is supporting the bill. This shortage could have dire consequences for human and animal health, public safety, animal welfare, disease surveillance, and economic development.
Unlike the counterpart program in human medicine, Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program awards are currently subject to 39 percent federal taxation. The Department of Agriculture pays these taxes to the U.S. Treasury out of the money Congress appropriates for the program, decreasing the amount of funds available to award to participants enrolled in the program.
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