An Act To Increase Maine's Veterinary Workforce
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1885
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: FAY, CLOUTIER, CRAFTS, KINNEY, PERRY, TUELL, ZEIGLER, BAILEY
Amends: 20-A MRSA §12121, 20-A MRSA §12122, 20-A MRSA §12123, 20-A MRSA §12124

Legislative Document
No. 1885
H.P. 1395
House of Representatives, January 5, 2022
An Act To Increase Maine's Veterinary Workforce
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative FAY of Raymond.
Cosponsored by Representatives: CLOUTIER of Lewiston, CRAFTS of Newcastle, KINNEY 
of Knox, McCREA of Fort Fairfield, PERRY of Calais, TUELL of East Machias, ZEIGLER of 
Montville, Senator: BAILEY of York.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §12121, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 488, §14 and 
amended by PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §6, is further amended to read:
3.  Insufficient veterinary services.  "Insufficient veterinary services" means an 
insufficient number of practitioners of veterinary medicine in a veterinary specialty related 
to livestock or emergency and critical care, as determined by the Commissioner of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §12121, sub-§6 is enacted to read:
6.  Underserved geographic region.  "Underserved geographic region" means a 
geographic region of the State in which there is an insufficient number of practitioners of 
veterinary medicine, as determined by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry.
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §12122, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 488, §14, is 
amended to read:
1.  Establishment.  The Maine Veterinary Medicine Loan Program is established.  The 
authority shall administer the program.  Beginning January 1, 2011 and until December 31, 
2022, the chief executive officer shall, as resources allow, award up to 2 loans annually up 
to an aggregate of 8.  Beginning January 1, 2023, the chief executive officer shall, as 
resources allow, award up to 10 loans annually up to an aggregate of 40.  Loans are 
available to Maine residents enrolled in a school of veterinary medicine.
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §12122, sub-§3, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 488, §14, is 
amended to read:
C.  Demonstrates an interest in practicing in an area of the State with insufficient 
veterinary services or in an underserved geographic region.
Sec. 5.  20-A MRSA §12122, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 488, §14, is 
amended to read:
4.  Maximum amount.  The maximum loan amount available under the program to 
each participant is $25,000 $50,000 per year for a period of up to 4 years.
Sec. 6.  20-A MRSA §12122, sub-§5, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 488, §14, is 
amended by amending subparagraph (2) to read:
(2)  A loan recipient who, upon conclusion of the loan recipient's professional 
education, including any fellowships, elects to serve as a veterinarian in an area of 
the State with insufficient veterinary services or in an underserved geographic 
region is forgiven 25% of the original outstanding indebtedness for each year of 
that practice.  A loan recipient who practices in an area of the State with insufficient 
veterinary services or in an underserved geographic region less than full time may 
receive prorated loan forgiveness. A loan recipient who is not practicing in an 
underserved geographic region and who devotes less than 50% of the recipient's 
practice to the care of livestock or to emergency and critical care may receive 
prorated loan forgiveness.
Sec. 7.  20-A MRSA §12122, sub-§5, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 488, §14, is 
amended by amending subparagraph (3) to read:
(3)  A loan recipient must make a commitment to undertake specific training, 
including clinical experiences in livestock medicine or emergency and critical care 
medicine.
Sec. 8.  20-A MRSA §12122, sub-§5, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 488, §14 and 
amended by PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §5, is further amended to read:
C.  A veterinarian requesting forgiveness or an interest rate benefit under this section 
shall report annually to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry on 
the portion of the veterinarian's practice dedicated to livestock or emergency and 
critical care and the geographic region served by the veterinarian's practice.
Sec. 9.  20-A MRSA §12122, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 488, §14, is 
amended to read:
6.  Default.  A loan recipient under the program who agrees to practice in an area of 
the State with insufficient veterinary services or in an underserved geographic region and 
who fails to complete the period of service required to pay off the loan is liable to the 
authority for an amount equal to the sum of the total amount paid by or on behalf of the 
authority to or on behalf of the recipient under the agreement plus interest at a rate 
determined by the authority. Credit for practicing in an area with insufficient veterinary 
services or in an underserved geographic region is awarded for each consecutive 12-month 
period served. Exceptions may be made by the authority in accordance with subsection 7.
Sec. 10.  20-A MRSA §12123, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 488, §14, is amended to 
read:
§12123.  Selection committee for students of veterinary medicine
The chief executive officer shall annually convene a selection committee of not fewer 
than 3 members to advise the authority in developing application materials designed to 
identify students likely to practice livestock veterinary medicine, emergency and critical 
care veterinary medicine or in an underserved geographic region in the State and to make 
recommendations to the authority regarding the priority of applicants for loans to students 
of veterinary medicine. The selection committee must include the state veterinarian and a 
representative of a statewide association of veterinarians.
Sec. 11.  20-A MRSA §12124, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 488, §14 and amended by 
PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §6, is further amended to read:
§12124.  Rules
The authority shall establish rules necessary to implement this chapter. The 
Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall adopt rules to establish 
criteria for determining areas of insufficient veterinary services for livestock or emergency 
and critical care, a definition definitions of "livestock" and "emergency and critical care," 
criteria for determining underserved geographic regions and a method for determining the 
percent percentage of a practice that is devoted to livestock or emergency and critical care. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the Maine Veterinary Medicine Loan Program in the following ways.
1. It amends the definition of "insufficient veterinary services" to include an 
insufficient number of practitioners of emergency and critical care services.
2. It adds the option for veterinary students to qualify for the program by demonstrating 
an interest in working in underserved geographic regions of the State, as determined by the 
Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry by rule. 
3. It increases the maximum number of annual loan awards from 2 to 10.
4. It increases the maximum loan amount from $25,000 to $50,000 per year for a period 
of up to 4 years.