The House and Senate Agriculture Committees have moved to pass a new Farm Bill reauthorizing several federal programs vital to veterinary medicine. On May 17, the House released a discussion draft and will hold a legislative hearing on the new Farm Bill today, May 23. On the other hand, the Senate released its framework last May 1.
The key provisions are as follows:
- Inclusion of the Healthy Dog Importation Act. The bill would help prevent the introduction and spread of animal and human health diseases. The legislation would improve importation standards to ensure a dog is healthy when imported into the United States.
- Reauthorize animal disease prevention and management programs. Also known as the “three-legged stool,” these programs bolster the country’s prevention, preparedness, and response capabilities to foreign animal disease outbreaks.
- Reauthorize and assess important veterinary programs. The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) are essential to recruiting and retaining veterinarians in rural areas. The new Farm Bill proposals reauthorize VSGP and include language for the Secretary of Agriculture to review and provide recommendations for improving these two programs.
Amidst these developments, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has expressed how the association’s work with the Congress—lawmakers and stakeholder groups—has led to the inclusion of veterinary profession’s top legislative priorities.
“Passing a new Farm Bill that includes the veterinary profession’s priorities is critical to the nation’s public and animal health infrastructure,” says Rena Carlson, DVM, AVMA president. “By working with Congress and other stakeholders, the AVMA’s continued advocacy has led to the inclusion of reauthorizations, funding, and legislation that will help protect animal and human welfare while advancing veterinary medicine. We look forward to working with Congress as the legislative process advances and urge them to swiftly pass a Farm Bill that includes veterinary priorities.”