SB 497

This bill authorizes the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin (UW)

System to repay up to $50,000 in educational loans obtained by a food animal

veterinarian for education leading to a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from an

accredited school of veterinary medicine. The veterinarian must agree to practice in

this state for at least 35 hours per week and to devote at least 50 percent of those

hours, for four years, to food animals. (Food animals are animals raised to produce

food for human consumption.) Loans are repaid by the board over the four-year

period.

Under the bill, loan repayments are funded from general purpose revenue

(although the bill does not provide general purpose revenue for the current

biennium) and from contributions from local governments and private entities. If

funds are insufficient to repay the loans of all eligible applicants, the board must

establish priorities based upon the following:

1. The likelihood that the veterinarian will remain in this state.

2. Whether the veterinarian graduated from the UW-Madison School of

Veterinary Medicine and practices with a private agriculture producer.

3. The geographic distribution of veterinarians in the program.

4. The total educational debt level of the veterinarian.

The bill authorizes the board to establish penalties to be assessed against

veterinarians who violate their agreements.

The bill sunsets the loan repayment program after the 2019-2020 fiscal year.