Bill addressing veterinary shortage in Arizona signed into law

A bill put forward by the Arizona Humane Society (AHS) and Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA) was signed into law as part of Arizona’s state budget next year. Sponsored by senator T.J. Shope, SB1271 will address the veterinary shortage in the state by providing incentives to keep veterinarians working within the state.

“The passing of SB1271 in the budget is a significant win for animals in Arizona as it is a step towards attracting and retaining talent that will provide vital animal health services making Arizona a better place for animals and people,” said Steven Hansen, DVM, MBA, DABVT, ACAW, Arizona Humane Society president and CEO.¹

This new bill will create a new Arizona Veterinary Loan Assistance Program, which will provide student loan reimbursement, up to $100,000, to veterinarians who graduated from school after January 1, 2023.¹ To qualify for the reimbursement veterinarians must work in Arizona for at least 4 years, and it will be required for 2 of those years spent at a municipal, county, or nonprofit shelter or in an agricultural practice that the USDA designated as having a shortage.

“Thanks to this budget appropriation, at least 58 new veterinarians will come to work in Arizona by the end of 2023, and each 1 of them will spend at least 2 years working at a public shelter or in an agricultural practice in a rural area over the next four years. Moving forward, making this appropriation annual will save countless lives while growing our economy, a win-win solution to an intractable problem,” expressed Steve Farley, CEO of the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, in the release.

“This is a victory for animal lovers across the state and is a great example of the benefits that accrue to our residents when our leaders work together for the common good,” he continued.

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