LRB-3774/2
PG:kjf:rs
2009 - 2010 LEGISLATURE
January 25, 2010 - Introduced by Senators Lassa, Olsen, Harsdorf and Taylor,
cosponsored by Representatives Tauchen, Vruwink, Molepske Jr., Benedict,
Clark, Gunderson, Montgomery, Nerison, A. Ott, Ripp, Smith, Spanbauer,
Steinbrink, Suder, Townsend, Zepnick, Zigmunt
and Pasch. Referred to
Committee on Agriculture and Higher Education.
SB497,1,3 1An Act to create 20.285 (1) (dm), 20.285 (1) (jd) and 36.63 of the statutes;
2relating to: creating a food animal veterinarian loan assistance program,
3granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
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.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB497, s. 1 1Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
2the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table PDF
SB497, s. 2 3Section 2. 20.285 (1) (dm) of the statutes is created to read:
SB497,2,54 20.285 (1) (dm) Food animal veterinarian loan assistance program. Biennially,
5the amounts in the schedule for loan repayments under s. 36.63.
SB497, s. 3 6Section 3. 20.285 (1) (jd) of the statutes is created to read:
SB497,2,97 20.285 (1) (jd) Food animal veterinarian loan assistance program;
8contributions and penalties.
All moneys received under s. 36.63, to be used for loan
9repayments under s. 36.63 and costs associated with the repayments.
SB497, s. 4 10Section 4. 36.63 of the statutes is created to read:
SB497,2,12 1136.63 Food animal veterinarian loan assistance program. (1)
12Definitions. In this section:
SB497,3,2
1(a) "Food animal" means an animal that is raised to produce food for human
2consumption.
SB497,3,43 (b) "Veterinarian" means a veterinarian, as defined in s. 453.02 (7), who is
4licensed under ch. 453 and who practices veterinary medicine.
SB497,3,8 5(2) Eligibility. The board may repay, on behalf of a food animal veterinarian,
6up to $50,000 in educational loans obtained by the veterinarian from a public or
7private lending institution for education leading to a doctor of veterinary medicine
8degree from an accredited school of veterinary medicine.
SB497,3,12 9(3) Agreement. (a) The board shall enter into a written agreement with the
10veterinarian, in which the veterinarian agrees to practice veterinary medicine in this
11state for at least 35 hours per week and to devote at least 50 percent of those hours,
12for 4 years, to food animals in a production agriculture setting.
SB497,3,1513 (b) The agreement shall specify that the responsibility of the board to make the
14payments under the agreement is subject to the availability of funds in the
15appropriations under s. 20.285 (1) (dm) and (jd).
SB497,3,17 16(4) Loan repayment. Principal and interest due on loans, exclusive of any
17penalties, may be repaid by the board at the following rate:
SB497,3,1918 (a) Up to 10 percent of the principal of the loan or $10,000, whichever is less,
19during the first year of participation in the program under this section.
SB497,3,2220 (b) Up to an additional 10 percent of the principal of the loan or $10,000,
21whichever is less, during the 2nd year of participation in the program under this
22section.
SB497,3,2523 (c) Up to an additional 15 percent of the principal of the loan or $15,000,
24whichever is less, during the 3rd year of participation in the program under this
25section.
SB497,4,3
1(d) Up to an additional 15 percent of the principal of the loan or $15,000,
2whichever is less, during the 4th year of participation in the program under this
3section.
SB497,4,7 4(5) Availability of funds; right of action against state. (a) The obligation of
5the board to make payments under an agreement entered into under sub. (3) (b) is
6subject to the availability of funds in the appropriations under s. 20.285 (1) (dm) and
7(jd).
SB497,4,128 (b) If the cost of repaying the loans of all eligible applicants, when added to the
9cost of loan repayments scheduled under existing agreements, exceeds the total
10amount in the appropriations under s. 20.285 (1) (dm) and (jd), the board shall
11establish priorities among the eligible applicants based upon the following
12considerations:
SB497,4,1313 1. The likelihood that a veterinarian will remain in this state.
SB497,4,1614 2. Whether the veterinarian graduated from the University of
15Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and practices veterinary
16medicine with a private agriculture producer.
SB497,4,1817 3. The geographic distribution of the veterinarians who have entered into loan
18repayment agreements under this section.
SB497,4,1919 4. The total educational debt level of the veterinarian.
SB497,4,2220 (c) An agreement under sub. (3) does not create a right of action against the
21state on the part of the veterinarian or lending institution for failure to make the
22payments specified in the agreement.
SB497,5,2 23(6) Local participation. The board shall encourage contributions to the
24program under this section by counties, cities, villages, towns, and private entities.

1Funds received under this subsection shall be credited to the appropriation account
2under s. 20.285 (1) (jd).
SB497,5,5 3(7) Penalties. (a) The board shall, by rule, establish penalties to be assessed
4by the board against veterinarians who breach agreements entered into under sub.
5(3). The rules shall do all of the following:
SB497,5,66 1. Specify what actions constitute a breach of the agreement.
SB497,5,77 2. Provide specific penalty amounts for specific breaches.
SB497,5,98 3. Provide exceptions for certain actions, including breaches resulting from
9death or disability.
SB497,5,1110 (b) Any penalties assessed and collected under this subsection shall be credited
11to the appropriation account under s. 20.285 (1) (jd).
SB497,5,12 12(8) Administration. The board shall do all of the following:
SB497,5,1313 (a) Publicize the program under this section to veterinarians.
SB497,5,1514 (b) Assist veterinarians who are interested in applying for the program under
15this section.
SB497,5,1716 (c) Assist communities in obtaining food animal veterinarians' services
17through the program under this section.
SB497,5,1818 (d) Make recommendations to the governor on all of the following:
SB497,5,2019 1. Ways to help communities evaluate and utilize the linkage between rural
20veterinary medical services, public health, and economic development.
SB497,5,2221 2. Coordination of state and federal programs available to assist the delivery
22of rural veterinary medical services.
SB497,5,2423 3. Strengthening coordination and maintenance of rural services and delivery
24system.
SB497,6,2
14. Development of mechanisms to reduce shortages of food animal
2veterinarians in rural areas.
SB497,6,6 3(9) Evaluation and report. The legislative audit bureau is requested to
4perform a performance evaluation audit of the program under this section. If the
5legislative audit bureau performs the audit, it shall file its report as described under
6s. 13.94 (1) (b) by July 1, 2013.
SB497,6,7 7(10) Sunset. No payments may be made under this section after June 30, 2020.
SB497,6,88 (End)
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