C.R.S.
Section 23-31-1001
Legislative declaration
(1)
The general assembly finds and determines that:(a)
More than one-third of rural communities in Colorado have at most one livestock-oriented veterinarian, thus leaving the owners of hundreds of thousands of livestock with little or no access to veterinary medicine;(b)
Food security and safety are directly linked to animal health;(c)
Colorado plays a key role in meeting our growing population’s increasing demand for protein;(d)
According to nationwide market statistics developed for the American Veterinary Medical Association, less than five percent of veterinarians in the United States practice predominantly on livestock;(e)
Rural veterinarians play a critical role in protecting the health of animals and humans;(f)
Many graduates of Colorado state university’s college of veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences were raised in rural areas and are interested in livestock-oriented practice; however, these graduates often feel limited to practice in areas of the state with higher starting salaries due to their loan repayment obligations; and(g)
Loan forgiveness and repayment programs in other states have improved veterinarians’ ability to pursue veterinary practices in rural areas.(2)
Therefore, the general assembly determines and declares that a veterinary education loan repayment program would benefit Colorado by providing financial incentives for veterinarians to practice in rural areas in which veterinary needs are not currently being met.
Source:
Section 23-31-1001 — Legislative declaration, https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-23.pdf
(accessed Oct. 20, 2023).