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House
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143
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Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
143
BY
WOOD
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
providing
for
a
rural
veterinary
practice
innovation
1
and
revitalization
fund
and
program
to
assist
veterinary
2
practices
in
certain
counties,
and
making
appropriations.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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Section
1.
Section
187.102,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsections:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
01.
“Agricultural
animal”
means
an
animal
3
belonging
to
the
bovine,
caprine,
equine,
ovine,
or
porcine
4
species;
farm
deer
as
defined
in
section
170.1;
ostriches,
5
rheas,
and
emus;
turkeys,
chickens,
domestic
geese
or
ducks,
or
6
other
domestic
fowl;
fish
or
other
aquatic
organisms
confined
7
in
private
waters
for
human
consumption;
or
honey
bees.
8
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
8A.
“Licensed
veterinarian”
means
an
9
individual
who
is
validly
and
currently
licensed
to
practice
10
veterinary
medicine
in
the
state
under
chapter
169.
11
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
13.
“Veterinary
practice”
means
a
business
12
engaged
in
the
practice
of
veterinary
medicine
as
defined
in
13
section
169.3,
as
any
of
the
following:
14
a.
An
individual
acting
as
a
solo
veterinary
practitioner.
15
b.
A
partnership
or
a
limited
liability
partnership
formed
16
under
chapter
486A
in
which
all
partnership
interests
are
held
17
by
licensed
veterinarians.
18
c.
A
limited
partnership
formed
under
chapter
488
in
which
19
all
interests
are
held
by
licensed
veterinarians.
20
d.
A
professional
limited
liability
company
formed
under
21
chapter
489
in
which
all
membership
interests
are
held
by
22
licensed
veterinarians.
23
e.
A
professional
corporation
formed
under
chapter
496C
in
24
which
all
shares
are
held
by
licensed
veterinarians.
25
f.
A
corporation
formed
under
chapter
504
in
which
all
26
shares
are
held
by
licensed
veterinarians.
27
Sec.
2.
Section
187.102,
subsection
7,
Code
2025,
is
amended
28
by
striking
the
subsection.
29
Sec.
3.
Section
187.201,
subsection
3,
Code
2025,
is
amended
30
to
read
as
follows:
31
3.
Moneys
in
the
fund
are
appropriated
to
the
department
and
32
shall
be
used
exclusively
to
administer
the
programs
created
33
in
this
subchapter
chapter
as
determined
and
directed
by
the
34
department,
and
shall
not
require
further
special
authorization
35
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by
the
general
assembly.
1
Sec.
4.
NEW
SECTION
.
187.211
Rural
veterinary
practice
2
innovation
and
revitalization
fund.
3
1.
A
rural
veterinary
practice
innovation
and
4
revitalization
fund
is
established
in
the
state
treasury
under
5
the
management
and
control
of
the
department.
6
2.
The
fund
shall
include
moneys
appropriated
by
the
general
7
assembly
and
other
moneys
available
to
and
obtained
or
accepted
8
by
the
department,
including
moneys
from
public
or
private
9
sources.
10
3.
a.
Moneys
in
the
fund
are
appropriated
to
the
department
11
for
the
purpose
of
supporting
the
rural
veterinary
practice
12
innovation
and
revitalization
program
established
in
section
13
187.316.
14
b.
The
department
may
use
not
more
than
five
percent
of
15
the
balance
of
the
unencumbered
and
unobligated
moneys
in
the
16
fund
at
the
beginning
of
a
fiscal
year
to
pay
for
the
costs
of
17
administering
the
program.
18
4.
a.
Notwithstanding
section
12C.7,
interest
or
earnings
19
on
moneys
in
the
fund
shall
be
credited
to
the
fund.
20
b.
Notwithstanding
section
8.33,
moneys
in
the
fund
that
21
remain
unencumbered
or
unobligated
at
the
end
of
a
fiscal
year
22
shall
not
revert.
23
Sec.
5.
NEW
SECTION
.
187.315
Administration.
24
In
administering
the
rural
veterinary
practice
innovation
25
and
revitalization
program,
the
department
shall
consult
with
26
the
Iowa
board
of
veterinary
medicine
as
provided
in
section
27
169.5
and
organizations
interested
in
animal
agriculture
and
28
the
health
of
agricultural
animals.
29
Sec.
6.
NEW
SECTION
.
187.316
Rural
veterinary
practice
30
innovation
and
revitalization
program.
31
1.
The
department
shall
establish
and
administer
the
rural
32
veterinary
practice
innovation
and
revitalization
program
33
for
the
purpose
of
awarding
financial
assistance
to
eligible
34
veterinary
practices
to
expand
and
improve
veterinary
services
35
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provided
to
agricultural
animals
in
those
counties
with
a
1
population
of
thirty
thousand
or
less
according
to
the
latest
2
preceding
federal
decennial
census
or
the
latest
applicable
3
population
estimate
issued
by
the
United
States
census
bureau,
4
whichever
is
most
recent.
5
2.
The
department
shall
award
financial
assistance
to
6
pay
for
project
costs
incurred
by
doing
one
or
more
of
the
7
following:
8
a.
Improve
or
expand
existing
facilities.
9
b.
Acquire
existing
equipment,
devices,
tools,
or
10
instruments.
11
c.
Incorporate
new
methods
and
technologies,
including
12
computerized
systems.
13
3.
The
department
shall
establish
eligibility
criteria
for
14
the
program
by
rule.
The
eligibility
criteria
must
include
all
15
of
the
following:
16
a.
The
veterinary
practice
must
be
located
in
this
state.
17
b.
A
licensed
veterinarian
associated
with
the
veterinary
18
practice
as
a
solo
practitioner,
partner,
limited
partner,
19
member,
or
shareholder
must
not
have
been
subject
to
20
disciplinary
action
in
this
state
or
another
state
within
the
21
last
five
years.
22
c.
The
veterinary
practice
must
only
employ
individuals
23
legally
authorized
to
work
in
this
state.
24
d.
The
veterinary
practice
must
not
currently
be
in
25
bankruptcy.
26
e.
The
veterinary
practice
must
employ
less
than
fifty
27
individuals.
28
4.
A
veterinary
practice
seeking
financial
assistance
under
29
this
section
must
make
application
to
the
department
in
the
30
manner
prescribed
by
the
department
by
rule.
31
5.
Applications
shall
be
accepted
during
one
or
more
annual
32
application
periods
to
be
determined
by
the
department.
Upon
33
reviewing
and
scoring
all
applications
that
are
received
during
34
an
application
period,
and
subject
to
funding,
the
department
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may
award
financial
assistance
to
eligible
veterinary
1
practices.
A
financial
assistance
award
shall
not
exceed
the
2
amount
of
eligible
project
costs
included
in
the
eligible
3
application.
4
Sec.
7.
RURAL
VETERINARY
PRACTICE
INNOVATION
AND
5
REVITALIZATION
FUND
AND
PROGRAM
——
APPROPRIATION.
6
1.
There
is
appropriated
from
the
general
fund
of
the
state
7
to
the
department
of
agriculture
and
land
stewardship
for
the
8
fiscal
year
beginning
July
1,
2025,
and
ending
June
30,
2026,
9
the
following
amount,
or
so
much
thereof
as
is
necessary,
to
be
10
used
for
the
purposes
designated:
11
For
deposit
in
the
rural
veterinary
practice
innovation
and
12
revitalization
fund
established
in
section
187.211:
13
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
$
750,000
14
2.
Of
the
moneys
appropriated
in
this
section,
a
veterinary
15
practice
shall
not
receive
more
than
$25,000
in
any
fiscal
16
year
under
the
rural
veterinary
practice
innovation
and
17
revitalization
program
established
in
section
187.316.
18
Sec.
8.
CODE
EDITOR
DIRECTIVE.
19
1.
The
Code
editor
shall
designate
chapter
187,
subchapter
20
II,
sections
187.201
through
187.210
as
part
1
and
sections
21
187.211
through
187.300
as
part
2.
22
2.
The
Code
editor
shall
redesignate
chapter
187,
23
subchapter
III,
part
3,
as
subchapter
IV.
24
EXPLANATION
25
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
26
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
27
BACKGROUND
——
CHOOSE
IOWA
ACT.
2024
Iowa
Acts,
chapter
1177,
28
in
part
combined
a
number
of
existing
programs
promoting
the
29
sale
of
Iowa
farm
commodities
administered
by
the
department
of
30
agriculture
and
land
stewardship
(DALS)
into
new
Code
chapter
31
187,
entitled
the
“Choose
Iowa
Act”
(Code
section
187.101).
32
The
Code
chapter
is
divided
into
three
subchapters,
including
33
subchapter
I
which
provides
for
the
chapter’s
general
subject
34
matter
such
as
a
definitions
section
(Code
section
187.102),
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subchapter
II
which
provides
for
financing
various
promotion
1
programs
by
establishing
the
choose
Iowa
fund
(Code
section
2
187.201),
and
subchapter
III
which
is
divided
into
three
parts
3
for
separate
promotional
programs
to
encourage
the
production
4
and
consumption
of
Iowa
commodities
and
products.
Part
1
5
establishes
the
choose
Iowa
promotional
program
providing
6
for
the
advertising
of
an
agricultural
commodity
produced
7
on
an
Iowa
farm
or
an
agricultural
product
processed
from
a
8
commodity
produced
on
an
Iowa
farm
(Code
sections
187.301
9
through
187.303),
part
2
establishes
the
dairy
innovation
10
and
revitalization
program
to
promote
the
development,
11
modernization,
and
expansion
of
this
state’s
dairy
industry
12
by
providing
financing
(Code
section
187.311),
and
part
3
13
creates
a
value-added
agricultural
grant
program
to
identify,
14
evaluate,
and
support
projects
and
services
that
add
value
to
15
agricultural
commodities
produced
on
Iowa
farms
(Code
section
16
187.321).
17
BILL’S
PROVISIONS.
This
bill
establishes
a
rural
veterinary
18
practice
innovation
and
revitalization
fund
(fund)
(Code
19
section
187.211)
and
rural
veterinary
practice
innovation
and
20
revitalization
program
(program)
administered
by
DALS
acting
21
in
consultation
with
the
Iowa
board
of
veterinary
medicine
22
(board)
(Code
sections
187.315
and
187.316).
The
purpose
23
of
the
fund
and
program
is
to
award
financial
assistance
to
24
eligible
veterinary
practices
to
expand
and
improve
veterinary
25
services
provided
to
agricultural
animals
in
counties
with
a
26
population
of
30,000
or
less.
Moneys
awarded
in
financial
27
assistance
support
the
use
of
facilities,
the
acquisition
28
of
existing
equipment,
devices,
tools,
or
instruments,
and
29
the
incorporation
of
new
methods
and
technologies,
including
30
computerized
systems.
DALS
is
required
to
adopt
eligibility
31
requirements.
The
veterinary
practice
must
be
located
in
this
32
state,
must
not
have
been
subject
to
any
disciplinary
action
by
33
the
board,
must
only
employ
individuals
legally
authorized
to
34
work
in
this
state,
must
not
currently
be
in
bankruptcy,
and
35
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143
must
employ
less
than
50
individuals.
1
APPROPRIATION.
The
bill
appropriates
$750,000
to
the
2
fund
in
support
of
the
program.
DALS
cannot
award
financial
3
assistance
of
more
than
$25,000
to
any
one
eligible
veterinary
4
practice
from
the
fund
in
any
fiscal
year.
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