Hinds Today

U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) has joined a bipartisan initiative to address the shortage of veterinarians in rural areas through the reintroduction of the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act (S.1163). This proposed legislation aims to remove the 39 percent federal withholding tax on loan repayment awards provided to veterinarians who dedicate three years of service in USDA-designated veterinary shortage areas. This effort is part of an ongoing campaign led by Hyde-Smith to combat rural veterinary workforce challenges.

Senator Hyde-Smith emphasized, "As the shortage of veterinarians surpasses a crisis point in rural Mississippi and across rural America, the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act has become an urgent necessity. This critical legislation is key to tackling the growing emergency and guaranteeing that taxpayers see far greater returns from the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program."

The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Plan, created by Congress in 2003, is funded at $10 million for the fiscal year 2025. This initiative aims to reduce veterinarian shortages by offering student loan repayment aid to veterinarians working in underserved locations. However, nearly 40 percent of these funds return to the U.S. Treasury due to federal withholding tax on repayments, affecting the program's direct benefit to veterinarians.

The bill, if enacted, proposes to extend the same exemptions given to medical doctors and other healthcare professionals participating in similar loan repayment agreements. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) are leading this legislative effort. The act is supported by over 100 national and state organizations, including the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association, and Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.

The move also sees support from additional original cosponsors such as Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.).