Senators Push for Tax Relief to Boost Rural Vet Workforce Amid Idaho Shortage
With 16 Idaho counties facing a shortage of veterinarians, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) have reintroduced the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act (S. 1163) — a bipartisan effort aimed at tackling the growing crisis in rural animal healthcare.
The bill would allow veterinarians participating in the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and similar state programs to exempt those payments from federal taxes, a benefit already extended to physicians working in underserved communities. Currently, the federal withholding tax significantly reduces the program’s value, making it harder for new veterinarians to afford working in rural areas.
Rural Crisis: Idaho's Veterinary Gaps Widen
According to Idaho State Veterinarian Dr. Scott Leibsle, the state’s rural areas are buckling under a lack of large animal veterinary care:
Canyon and Owyhee counties are struggling to meet beef operation needs.
Idaho and Lewis counties, home to 31,000 beef cattle and 4,000 small ruminants, can’t keep up with growing demand.
Twin Falls and Jerome counties — Idaho’s most cattle-dense regions — have clinics that are overburdened or no longer accepting new clients.
Payette, Washington, and Adams counties are losing vet coverage to expanding dairy farms, leaving beef producers and hobby farms without care.
Franklin, Bannock, and Caribou counties, with over 142,500 cattle and 20,000 sheep, face dwindling vet access.
Bingham, Clark, and Jefferson counties show a growing mismatch between herd size and vet availability.
The shortage even stretches across state lines: Nez Perce County (ID) and Asotin County (WA) were jointly nominated for federal shortage designations because local farmers must drive 1–2 hours to Washington State University for emergency care.
A Workforce Aging Out
Dr. Leibsle warns that 50% of Idaho’s large animal veterinarians are nearing retirement within the next decade, while fewer than 1 in 10 new veterinary graduates intend to enter large animal practice. Without significant incentives, the current replacement rate will fall short of industry needs.
“We need all the tools we can find to help maintain veterinary support for our livestock industries in Idaho,” said Leibsle.
Legislative Fix
The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act aims to strengthen the VMLRP by:
Eliminating federal taxes on loan repayment awards.
Aligning benefits with similar medical workforce incentive programs.
Making rural practice more financially viable for early-career veterinarians.
Sen. Crapo emphasized the bill’s importance for maintaining Idaho’s agricultural health and economy:
“Access to quality veterinary care is vital for Idaho agriculture. This legislation would allow more veterinarians to serve in rural and underserved communities most in need.”
The legislation comes as Congress looks to address the broader U.S. veterinarian shortage, especially in regions vital to food production and animal health.