    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 117, 108th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    117 STAT. 2014

    Public Law 108-161
    108th Congress

    An Act

    To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a loan repayment
    program regarding the provision of veterinary services in shortage
    situations, and for other purposes. [NOTE: Dec. 6, 2003 -  [H.R.
    1367]]

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
    United States of America in Congress assembled, [NOTE: National
    Veterinary Medical Service Act.]

    SECTION 1. [NOTE: 7 USC 3101 note.] SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Veterinary Medical Service
    Act''.

    SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM REGARDING VETERINARY
    MEDICINE.

    The National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy
    Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) is amended by inserting after
    section 1415 the following new section:

    ``SEC. 1415A. [NOTE: 7 USC 3151a.] VETERINARY MEDICINE LOAN REPAYMENT.

    ``(a) Program.--
    ``(1) Service [NOTE: Contracts.] in shortage situations.--
    The Secretary shall carry out a program of entering into
    agreements with veterinarians under which the veterinarians
    agree to provide, for a period of time as determined by the
    Secretary and specified in the agreement, veterinary services in
    veterinarian shortage situations. For each year of such service
    under an agreement under this paragraph, the Secretary shall pay
    an amount, as determined by the Secretary and specified in the
    agreement, of the principal and interest of qualifying
    educational loans of the veterinarians.
    ``(2) Service to federal government in emergency
    situations.--
    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may enter into
    agreements of 1 year duration with veterinarians who
    have agreements pursuant to paragraph (1) for such
    veterinarians to provide services to the Federal
    Government in emergency situations, as determined by the
    Secretary, under terms and conditions specified in the
    agreement. Pursuant to an agreement under this
    paragraph, the Secretary shall pay an amount, in
    addition to the amount paid pursuant to the agreement in
    paragraph (1), as determined by the Secretary and
    specified in the agreement, of the principal and
    interest of qualifying educational loans of the
    veterinarians.
    ``(B) Requirements.--Agreements entered into under
    this paragraph shall include the following:

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    117 STAT. 2015

    ``(i) A veterinarian shall not be required to
    serve more than 60 working days per year of the
    agreement.
    ``(ii) A veterinarian who provides service
    pursuant to the agreement shall receive a salary
    commensurate with the duties and shall be
    reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses as
    appropriate for the duration of the service.

    ``(b) Determination of Veterinarian Shortage Situations.--In
    determining `veterinarian shortage situations' the Secretary may
    consider the following:
    ``(1) Urban or rural areas that the Secretary determines
    have a shortage of veterinarians.
    ``(2) Areas of veterinary practice that the Secretary
    determines have a shortage of veterinarians, such as public
    health, epidemiology, and food safety.
    ``(3) Areas of veterinary need in the Federal Government.
    ``(4) Other factors that the Secretary considers to be
    relevant.

    ``(c) Administration.--
    ``(1) Authority.--The Secretary may carry out this program
    directly or enter into agreements with another Federal agency or
    other service provider to assist in the administration of this
    program.
    ``(2) Breach remedies.--
    ``(A) In general.--Agreements with program
    participants shall provide remedies for any breach of an
    agreement by a participant, including repayment or
    partial repayment of financial assistance received, with
    interest.
    ``(B) Amounts recovered.--Funds recovered under this
    subsection shall be credited to the account available to
    carry out this section and shall remain available until
    expended.
    ``(3) Waiver.--The Secretary may grant a waiver of the
    repayment obligation for breach of contract in the event of
    extreme hardship or extreme need, as determined by the
    Secretary.
    ``(4) Amount.--The [NOTE: Regulations.] Secretary shall
    develop regulations to determine the amount of loan repayment
    for a year of service by a veterinarian. In making the
    determination, the Secretary shall consider the extent to which
    such determination--
    ``(A) affects the ability of the Secretary to
    maximize the number of agreements that can be provided
    under the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program
    from the amounts appropriated for such agreements; and
    ``(B) provides an incentive to serve in veterinary
    service shortage areas with the greatest need.
    ``(5) Qualifying educational loans.--Loan repayments
    provided under this section may consist of payments on behalf of
    participating individuals of the principal and interest on
    government and commercial loans received by the individual for
    attendance of the individual at an accredited college of
    veterinary medicine resulting in a degree of Doctor of
    Veterinary Medicine or the equivalent, which loans were made
    for--
    ``(A) tuition expenses;
    ``(B) all other reasonable educational expenses,
    including fees, books, and laboratory expenses, incurred
    by the individual; or

    [[Page 2016]]
    117 STAT. 2016

    ``(C) reasonable living expenses as determined by
    the Secretary.
    ``(6) Repayment schedule.--The Secretary may enter into an
    agreement with the holder of any loan for which payments are
    made under this section to establish a schedule for the making
    of such payments.
    ``(7) Tax liability.--In addition to educational loan
    repayments, the Secretary shall make such additional payments to
    participants as the Secretary determines to be appropriate for
    the purpose of providing reimbursements to participants for
    individual tax liability resulting from participation in this
    program.

    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
    appropriated for carrying out this section such sums as may be necessary
    and such sums shall remain available to the Secretary for the purposes
    of this section until expended.''.

    Approved December 6, 2003.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 1367:
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 149 (2003):
    Nov. 17, considered and passed House.
    Nov. 24, considered and passed Senate.