HJ 43 — Large animal veterinarians; Board of Veterinary Medicine, et al., to study shortage.

SESSION HOUSEENROLLED SUBSTITUTE 24107212D HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO.

43 AMENDMENTE IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the House Committee on Appropriations on February 7, 2024) (Patron Prior to Substitute––Delegate Lopez) Requesting the Board of Veterinary Medicine, in consultation with the State Veterinarian, to study the WHEREAS,N as of 2023, the shortage of rural veterinarians has reached an all-time high as 500 counties in 46 states have been deemed to have a critical shortage of large animal veterinarians;veterinarians.

andReport. WHEREAS, only three to four percent of new veterinary graduates have entered food animal-related practice over the past 20 years;

andR WHEREAS,Agreed to by providingthe preventativeHouse care,of diseaseDelegates, treatment,February and12, strategies2024 forO herdAgreed healthto andby helpthe preventSenate, large-scaleMarch loss5, 2024 L WHEREAS, as of herds2023, orthe flocksshortage whenof arural highlyveterinarians transmissiblehas diseasereached sweepsan throughall-time annshigh canas area;500 L couWHEREAS, only three to four percent of new veterinary graduates have entered food animal-relatednd E practice over the past 20 years;

and WHEREAS, ifby theproviding currentpreventative downwardcare, trenddisease intreatment, largeand animalstrategies veterinarians continues, there will be cause for concernherd forhealth aand safeD foodproductivity, supply,large the potential for widespread animal diseaseveterinarians outbreaks,are and a declinecritical inresource thefor economicfarmers; vitality of rural communities;

andlarge Uanimal WHEREAS,veterinarians whilecan thehelp Stateprevent Veterinarianlarge-scale designatesloss areas of theherds Commonwealthor thatflocks havewhen a shortagehighly programs,transmissible disease sweeps through an areWHEREAS, if the current programdownward failstrend toin attractlarge studentsanimal veterinarians continues, there will be cause for concern for a safe food supply, the potential for widespread animal disease outbreaks, and a decline in suchthe areaseconomic vitality of mostrural need;communities;

now,and therefore,WHEREAS, bewhile itthe RESOLVEDState byVeterinarian thedesignates Houseareas of Delegates, the SenateCommonwealth concurring,that Thathave thea Boardshortage ofH Veterinaryprograms, E Medicine, in consultation with the Statecurrent Veterinarian,program befails requested to studyattract thestudents shortagein ofsuch largeareas animalof veterinarians.most need;

Innow, conductingtherefore, thebe study,it the3 BoardRESOLVED ofby Veterinary Medicine and the StateHouse Veterinarianof shallDelegates, (i)the identifySenate waysconcurring, toThat strengthenthe existingBoard debtof repaymentVeterinary programsR forMedicine, veterinarians,in includingconsultation makinSwith programs,the limitingState barriersVeterinarian, forbe participation,requested andto improvingstudy methodsthe forshortage consistent identification of veterinarylarge shortageanimal areasveterinarians. to better target rural communities in need;

(ii)In examineconducting optionsthe forstudy, developingthe programsBoard thatof offerVeterinary businessMedicine supportand the State Veterinarian shall (i) recommendations on how to providesimplify incentivesapplication orcriteria, low-interestexploring businessstate loansmatching loan repayment programs, limiting barriers for largeparticipation, animaland privateimproving practices;methods for consistent identification of veterinary shortage areas to better target rural communities in need;

(iii)(ii) identifyexamine options for developing programs that offer business support ato strongprovide pipelineincentives ofor veterinarylow-interest studentSbusiness fromloans ruralfor large animal backgrounds and help such students navigate post-secondary education to increase retention;

(ivT(iv) from rural examine other possible solutions for increasing the number of large animal veterinarians in the Commonwealth, such as expanding veterinary technician-type or physician assistant-type programs to allow large animal veterinarians to expand their scope of practice in rural areas;

and (v) reexamine the :recommendations from the 2010 study on the shortage of large animal veterinarians published pursuant to Technical assistance shall be provided to the Board of Veterinary Medicine and the State Veterinarian by the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine, the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, the Virginia Academy of Food Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, and the Virginiassistance, Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission and a member of the House of Delegates appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates and a member of the Senate of Virginia appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.

36All recommendationsagencies fromof the 2010Commonwealth studyshall onprovide assistance to the shortageBoard of largeVeterinary animalMedicine veterinariansfor publishedthis purTuantstudy, 37upon torequest. House Joint Resolution 730 (2009).

38 Technical assistance shall be provided to the Board of Veterinary Medicine and the State U 39 Veterinarian by the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Polytechnic InTtitute Farm Bureau Federation, the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, the Virginia Academy of FoEda Animal Practitioners, the Virginia Agribusiness Council, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, and the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission and a member of the House of Delegates appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates and a member of the Senate of Virginia appointed by the Senate Veterinary Medicine for this study, upon request.lth shall provide assistance to the Board of Upon completion of the study, the Board of Veterinary Medicine shall submit its report to the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and on Education, and the Senate Hthe House Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and on Education and Health, and 4hesethese standing committees shall review the findings and recommendations of the report for appropriateHappropriate legislative, policy, and budgetary implications and action, and make such recommendations as ne1essary.necessary.

The executive summaries and reports shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports no later than the first day of the next Regular Session of the General Assembly and shall be posted on the General Assembly's HJ43H1 2 of 2 website.