Bill > S1380

This bill establishes the Rural Veterinarians Loan Repayment Program in Idaho. The key provisions are: 1. Creation of a Rural Veterinarians Loan Repayment Fund in the state treasury to be administered by the Department of Agriculture. The fund will be used to pay for qualified veterinary education debt of rural veterinarians and the expenses of administering the program. 2. Establishment of a Rural Veterinary Shortages Advisory Committee to advise the Department on the program, including making recommendations on grant awards. 3. Provision of loan repayment grants to rural veterinarians who dedicate at least 50% of their practice to providing care to production animals in rural areas. Grants can be up to $25,000 per year for up to 3 years, with a total cap of $75,000. 4. Requirement for grant recipients to sign a 4-year contract with the Department to maintain their rural veterinary practice. Failure to abide by the contract will require repayment of the grant. 5. Process for grant applications, awards, and reporting by recipients. The bill aims to address shortages of rural veterinarians who provide care for large animals by offering loan repayment assistance to incentivize them to practice in these underserved areas.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Justice

State Affairs Committee (S)

https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2022/legislation/S1380/