House Bill 1210

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE "DR. ELTON MAC HUDDLESTON RURAL VETERINARIANS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AT MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY" FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIPS TO QUALIFYING STUDENTS PURSUING A DEGREE IN VETERINARY MEDICINE, WHO WILL THEN COMMIT TO THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE IN RURAL AREAS OF THE STATE; TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEAN OF THE MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE SHALL ADMINISTER THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM; TO CAP THE NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED ANNUALLY; TO LIMIT TO FOUR YEARS DURATION FOR WHICH A STUDENT MAY RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS; TO DEFINE TERMINOLOGY USED IN THE ACT; TO AUTHORIZE THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE PRESIDENT OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING; TO PRESCRIBE THE MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR RECEIPT OF SCHOLARSHIP, CONTINUED MAINTENANCE OF THE SCHOLARSHIP AND POST PROGRAM COMPLETION OBLIGATIONS AND PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO PERFORM THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION OF THE SCHOLARSHIP AGREEMENT; TO AUTHORIZE THE MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE IS AUTHORIZED TO ACCEPT GIFTS, DONATIONS, BEQUESTS, GRANTS AND ANY OTHER MONIES FROM ANY SOURCE WHATSOEVER TO BE USED FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE THE DEAN TO SUBMIT AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT WHO RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS UNDER THE PROGRAM AND HOW MUCH EACH PERSON RECEIVED, AND THE AMOUNT OF ANY GIFTS, DONATIONS AND OTHER FUNDS RECEIVED AND HOW THOSE FUNDS WERE USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. There is established, at Mississippi State University, the "Dr. Elton Mac Huddleston Rural Veterinarians Scholarship Program" for the purpose of identifying and providing qualified students with scholarships to assist such students in pursuing degrees through matriculation in veterinary medicine. The scholarship program shall:

(a) Be developed and implemented in order to provide encouragement, opportunities and incentives for persons pursuing a veterinary medicine degree at Mississippi State University to:

(i) Provide veterinary services in rural Mississippi communities; and

(ii) Receive specialized training to meet the needs of rural Mississippians and livestock producers in rural Mississippi communities;

(b) Be administered by the Dean of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine; and

(c) Annually award scholarships to an average of two (2) scholars, whose scholarship assistance may be funded annually for a period not to exceed four (4) years.

SECTION 2. As used in this act, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed in this section unless context of use clearly requires otherwise:

(a) "Veterinary student" means a student enrolled in the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

(b) "Dean" means the Dean of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

(d) "Food supply animal veterinarian" means a veterinarian who is engaged in general or food supply animal practice as his or her primary focus of practice and who has thirty percent (30%) of his or her practice devoted to food supply animal veterinary medicine.

(e) "Large animal veterinarian" means a veterinarian whose practice is focused primarily on the health and safety of farm animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses, who must spend sixty percent (60%) of their time providing care for large animals.

(f) "Program" means the Dr. Elton Mac Huddleston Rural Veterinarian Scholarship Program administered by the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

(g) "Rural community" means an area of the state with a population density less than five hundred (500) people per square mile as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture.

(h) "Rural mixed animal veterinarian" means a veterinarian who practices in a rural community with provision of care to both small animals, i.e., dogs or cats, and large animals, i.e., cattle, sheep, goats, pigs or horses, within which the veterinarian must spend a minimum of thirty percent (30%) of his or her time providing care to large animals.

SECTION 3. The Dean of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine shall have the following powers and duties:

(a) Develop the administrative policy for the Dr. Elton Mac Huddleston Rural Veterinarians Scholarship Program;

(b) Promulgating rules and regulations, with the advice and consent of the President of Mississippi State University of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, pertaining to the implementation and operation of the Dr. Elton Mac Huddleston Rural Veterinarians Scholarship Program;

(c) Annually establish a selection committee, composed of faculty of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, rural mixed animal veterinarians and large animal veterinarians, which shall conduct a process, independent from the university's Admissions Committee, to review applications, conduct virtual or in-person interviews and select recipients;

(d) Establish a budget, with the advice and consent of the President of Mississippi State University of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, to support the activities of the program and periodically review, and if appropriate, revise the scholarship and other stipends offered through the program;

(e) Review scholarship recipients' progress in the program and mentor students and veterinarians participating in the program; and

(f) Develop and participate in programs that provide initial practice support in collaboration with other interested professional organizations;

(h) Give preference for approving communities for purposes of Section 4(2)(d) to communities located in areas designated by the American Veterinary Medical Association or the United States Department of Agriculture as veterinary shortage areas.

SECTION 4. (1) (a) Subject to the availability of funds, the program may annually enter into agreements with up to an average of two (2) veterinary students as determined by the criteria established for the administration of the Dr. Elton Mac Huddleston Rural Veterinarians Scholarship Program.

(b) Each student entering into a program agreement under this section shall receive annual assistance in an amount not to exceed the in-state tuition rate assessed for attending the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine for a period not to exceed four (4) years for tuition and fees incurred by the student in pursuit of his or her veterinary medicine degree. Upon completion of all commitments under the provisions of the agreement and the provisions of this section, the financial obligations pursuant to this section shall be deemed satisfied and forgiven.

(2) To be eligible for program scholarship funds, recipients shall:

(a) Be a student of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine;

(b) Agree to become licensed in the practice of veterinary medicine in the State of Mississippi upon graduation;

(c) Complete all requirements in public health, livestock biosecurity, foreign animal disease diagnosis, regulatory veterinary medicine and zoonotic disease, and an externship and mentoring requirement with a licensed, accredited veterinarian in a rural area, as required by the veterinary medical school;

(d) Enter into a contract with the program to provide full-time veterinary medicine services as a food supply animal veterinarian or as a rural mixed animal veterinarian for a minimum of four (4) years in one or more communities approved by the program; and

(e) Commence the full-time practice of veterinary medicine in a rural community within ninety (90) days after completion of the degree program or, if the scholarship recipient enters a post-degree training program, such as graduate school, internship or residency program, within ninety (90) days after completion of the post-degree training program; and

(f) Be accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services to provide services relating to food supply animals within six (6) months of graduation or passage of veterinary licensure examination.

(3) Priority shall be given to Mississippi residents. If the number of Mississippi residents applying for scholarship funds is less than the number of slots available, nonresident students may be considered. Nonresident students shall only receive scholarship funds sufficient to pay for in-state tuition rates, and they must meet the same obligations as specified in subsection (2) of this section for students who are residents of the State of Mississippi.

(4) Recipients of the scholarship must remain in good academic standing while in receipt of this scholarship, as specified in the rules and regulations promulgated by the Dean of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine with the advice and consent of the President of Mississippi State University of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. If a student is dismissed or withdraws from the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, the dean shall assess the circumstances of the student's dismissal or withdrawal and make a formal recommendation regarding whether the student shall be liable for the repayment of all or a portion of the financial assistance provided to the student through the program, along with other penalties that may be prescribed in accordance with the policies adopted by the dean as prescribed in Section 6 of this act.

(5) The dean may adopt additional provisions, requirements or conditions for participating in the program as are practicable and appropriate to accomplish the provisions of the program or which may be required for the implementation or administration of the program, and which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section.

SECTION 5. (1) The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine is authorized to accept gifts, donations, bequests, trusts, grants, endowments, transfers of money or securities, repayments and any other monies from any source whatsoever to be used for the purposes of administering the Dr. Elton Mac Huddleston Rural Veterinarians Scholarship Program.

(2) The dean shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Legislature not later than December 1 of each year, which shall include, but not be limited to, information about who received scholarships under the program and how much each person received, and the amount of any funds received under subsection (1) of this section and how those funds were used for the purpose of the program.

(3) The appropriation request of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the program shall be reduced if a saturation point is achieved and the shortage of veterinary services in rural Mississippi is adequately addressed.

SECTION 6. (1) A veterinarian shall be released from the program contract without penalty if:

(a) The veterinarian has completed the service requirements of the contract;

(b) The veterinarian is unable to complete the service requirements of the contract because of a permanent physical disability;

(d) The veterinarian dies.

(2) An obligation to engage in the practice of veterinary medicine in accordance with the provisions of Section 4 shall be postponed during:

(a) Any period of temporary medical disability during which the person obligated is unable to practice veterinary medicine due to the disability; and

(b) Any other period of postponement agreed to or determined in accordance with criteria agreed to in the practice agreement.

(3) A veterinarian shall be released from further performance of veterinary services under the program contract if he or she is unable to perform his or her contractual obligations to provide veterinary services due to the suspension or revocation of his or her federal accreditation or denial, refusal of renewal, limitation, suspension, revocation, or other disciplinary measure taken against his or her license to practice in the State of Mississippi pursuant to the Mississippi Veterinary Practice Act, Chapter 39, Title 73, Mississippi Code of 1972, particularly, Sections 73-39-75 and 73-39-77. If a veterinarian is released from his or her contract pursuant to this subsection, the program may recover a portion of or all of the payments made to such veterinarian under Section 4 of this act. The dean may use appropriate remedies available to enforce this subsection.

(4) Upon the failure of a person to satisfy the obligation to engage in the full-time practice of veterinary medicine in a rural community in accordance with the provisions of this section with no just cause as outlined in subsection (1), that person shall, within ninety (90) days of the failure, be liable for the repayment of all financial assistance provided to such person through the program prescribed in accordance with the policies adopted by the dean, less a prorated amount based on any periods of veterinary medicine practice meeting the requirements of this section, plus interest at the prime rate of two percent (2%) from the date the assistance accrued. The interest on any unpaid obligation for violations specified in this subsection shall be compounded annually.

SECTION 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.