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VETERINARIAN SERVICES INVESTMENT ACT

• The Veterinarian Services Investment Act authorizes a competitive grant program for the purpose of developing and implementing programs to address the veterinary workforce issues that are appropriate to a State's unique needs.
• $10 million annually for fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
• Administration of the program will be the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Sponsors—

• U.S. House: Rep. Adrian Smith, R-NE-3; Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-IA-3
• U.S. Senate: Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-MI; John Thune, R-SD

Co-sponsors as of 6/8/09—

• U.S. House: Joe Baca (D-CA-43), Mike McIntyre (D-NC-7) and Eric Massa (D-NY-29)
• U.S. Senate: Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Mel Martinez (R-FL)

Grant funds may support a variety of programs and activities prioritized by a three tiered system—

1. Tier 1 programs and activities
   1. Veterinarian and veterinarian technician recruitment and retention programs.
   2. Grants, low-interest loans, or no-interest loans to assist veterinarians with establishing or expanding practices for the purpose of equipping veterinary offices or sharing in the overhead costs of such practices.
   3. The establishment of mobile veterinary services developed in consultation with State veterinary medical associations recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
   4. The establishment or expansion of veterinary services to enhance animal care through the purchase of equipment or extending hours of operation.
   5. Programs augmenting private or public scholarship, loan forgiveness, or loan repayment programs for veterinarians or veterinarian technicians, including for the following:
      1. Veterinarians or veterinarian technicians who agree to practice in a Federal or State designated veterinary shortage area or situation.
      2. Veterinarians who agree to practice food animal or food systems veterinary medicine or public health officials for State or local government.
      3. Veterinarians who agree to practice in accredited veterinary diagnostic laboratories for State or local governments.
   6. Data collection activities for the purpose of meeting reporting requirements under Section 2(g) as determined to be appropriate by the Secretary.
   7. Other uses deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Agriculture.
   
   
2. Tier 2 programs and activities
   8. Programs in the surveillance of food-animal disease and the utilization of veterinary services.
   9. Financial assistance for veterinary students, veterinary interns and residents, and veterinary technician students to attend training programs in food safety or food animal medicine.
   10. Programs establishing or expanding accredited veterinary education programs, veterinary residency programs or veterinary internship programs in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine.
   11. Support programs for televeterinary medicine conducted in accordance with State laws.
   12. Other uses deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Agriculture.
   
   
3. Tier 3 programs and activities
   13. The development of or the augmentation of the office and/or position of a State Veterinarian or Animal Health Official to coordinate veterinary services and food protection issues in the State.
   14. Programs conducting State assessment of veterinarian shortage areas or situations and preparation of applications for designation as a shortage area or situation.
   15. Programs in continuing education, including distance-based education, for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other health professionals needed to strengthen veterinary programs and enhance food safety.
   16. Faculty recruitment and retention programs at accredited colleges of veterinary medicine.
   17. Programs, coordinating with local educational agencies within the State that promote children going into veterinary medicine or science professions.
   18. Other uses deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Agriculture.

Funding Preferences awarded for applications that—

• Are coordinated between or with: (1) the state veterinary medical association recognized by the American Veterinary Association; (2) the applicable accredited veterinary education institution, or accredited department of veterinary science or department of comparative medicine; (3) applicable State Veterinarian, Animal Health Official (or its equivalent) and
• Meet veterinary public health workforce or food protection needs.

Eligibility Requirements—

• Eligible entities: (1) A for-profit or non-profit entity located in the United States that operates a veterinary clinic providing veterinary services in a rural area, as defined in section 1393(a)(2) of Title 26 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or veterinary shortage situations as defined by 7 USC 3101, section 1415A; (2) A state veterinary medical association recognized by the American Veterinary Association; (3) A college or school of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association; (4) A department of veterinary science or department of comparative medicine accredited by the U.S. Department of Education; and (5) A State, local or tribal government agency.
  
  
• Application requirements: Application must (1) substantially benefit rural or underserved veterinary situations as defined by Section 4(a)(b) in the Act; (2) support or facilitate public health veterinary practice as defined in Section 4(c) in the Act; (3) support or facilitate veterinary practices of veterinarians who are participating in or have successfully completed a service requirement under section 1415A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3151A).
  
  
• Matching Requirement: Grantees must contribute non-Federal contributions in an amount equal to not less than 25% of Federal funds provided under a grant. Contributions in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, and services and may provide the contributions from State, local, or private sources.
  
  
• Indirect and Administrative Costs: Legislation will clearly articulate indirect and administrative costs limitations.

Proposed Data Collection and Assessment—

• Grantees will be required to prepare and provide a written progress report outlining activities carried out by the grant

Definitions—

• Rural area is defined by Section 1393(a)(2) Title 26 Internal Revenue Code. Definitions and special rules: (a) In general for purposes of this subchapter-
  (1) Appropriate Secretary means - (A) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the case of any nominated area which is located in an urban area, and (B) the Secretary of Agriculture in the case of any nominated area which is located in a rural area.
  (2) Rural area means any area which is - (A) outside of a metropolitan statistical area (within the meaning of section 143(k)(2)(B)), or (B) determined by the Secretary of Agriculture, after consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, to be a rural area.
• Veterinary shortage situations will be consistent with those eligible under 7 U.S.C. 3101, section 1415A. In determining "veterinarian shortage situations" the Secretary may consider the following: (1) Urban or rural areas that the Secretary determines have a shortage of veterinarians; (2) Areas of veterinary practice that the Secretary determines have a shortage of veterinarians, such as public health, epidemiology, and food safety; (3) Areas of veterinary need in the Federal Government; (4) Other factors that the Secretary considers to be relevant.
• Veterinary Public Health for purposes of this Act includes veterinarians educated and trained in-(a) biodefense and emergency preparedness, emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, environmental health, ecosystem health, pre-harvest and post-harvest food safety, food defense, food security, regulatory medicine, diagnostic laboratory medicine, veterinary pathology, biomedical research, rural practice, and government practice; and (b) the sum of all contributions to the physical, mental, and social well-being of humans through an understanding and application of veterinary science."

Known Supporters—

• American Veterinary Medical Association
• South Dakota Veterinary Medical Association
• Michigan Veterinary Medical Association
• Iowa Veterinary Medical Association
• Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association
• Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association
• The Farm Bureau
• Animal Health Corridor
• Animal Health Institute
• Bayer Healthcare, Animal Health Division
• National Association of Federal Veterinarians
• National Cattlemen's Beef Association
• National Chicken Council
• Schering-Plough

Known Opposition—None

Contact—Gina Luke, Assistant Director, AVMA-GRD, (202) 289-3204, gluke@avma.org