Solicitation of Veterinary Shortage Situation Nominations for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program

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Published

June 22, 2022

Issuing agencies

Agriculture DepartmentNational Institute of Food and Agriculture

Abstract

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is soliciting nominations of veterinary service shortage situations for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) for fiscal years (FY) 2023-2025, as authorized under the National Veterinary Medical Services Act (NVMSA). This notice initiates the nomination period for FY 2023 and prescribes the procedures and criteria to be used by eligible nominating officials (State, Insular Area, DC and Federal Lands) to nominate veterinary shortage situations for fiscal years 2023-2025. Each year all eligible nominating officials may submit nominations, up to the maximum indicated for each entity in this notice. NIFA is conducting this solicitation of veterinary shortage situation nominations under an approved information collection (OMB Control Number 0524-0050).

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 119 (Wednesday, June 22, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 22, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37302-37305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-13321]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Solicitation of Veterinary Shortage Situation Nominations for the
Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and solicitation for nominations.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is
soliciting nominations of veterinary service shortage situations for
the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) for fiscal years
(FY) 2023-2025, as authorized under the National Veterinary Medical
Services Act (NVMSA). This notice initiates the nomination period for
FY 2023 and prescribes the procedures and criteria to be used by
eligible nominating officials (State, Insular Area, DC and Federal
Lands) to nominate veterinary shortage situations for fiscal years
2023-2025. Each year all eligible nominating officials may submit
nominations, up to the maximum indicated for each entity in this
notice. NIFA is conducting this solicitation of veterinary shortage
situation nominations under an approved information collection (OMB
Control Number 0524-0050).

DATES: Shortage situation nominations must be submitted between the
first Monday in October and the second Monday in November in each
relevant fiscal year.

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First day to submit shortage Last day to submit shortage
Fiscal year nominations nominations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2023............................. October 3, 2022....................... November 14, 2022.
2024............................. October 2, 2023....................... November 13, 2023.
2025............................. October 7, 2024....................... November 12, 2024.
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ADDRESSES: Submissions must be made by downloading the Veterinarian
Shortage Situation nomination form provided in the VMLRP Shortage
Situations section of the NIFA website at <a href="https://nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/veterinary-medicine-loan-repayment-program">https://nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/veterinary-medicine-loan-repayment-program</a>, completing the
fillable PDF electronically, and submitting it via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d1a7bcbda3a1ffb0a1a1bdb8b2b0a5b8bebfa291a4a2b5b0ffb6bea7">[email&#160;protected]</a>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: VMLRP Program Coordinator; National
Institute of Food and Agriculture; U.S. Department of Agriculture; 805
Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64105; Email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8cfae1e0fefca2edfcfce0e5efedf8e5e3e2ffccf9ffe8eda2ebe3fa">[email&#160;protected]</a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background and Purpose: Food supply veterinary medicine embraces a
broad array of veterinary professional activities, specialties, and
responsibilities, and is defined as all

[[Page 37303]]

aspects of veterinary medicine's involvement in food supply systems,
from traditional agricultural production to consumption. A series of
studies and reports 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 have drawn attention to
maldistributions in the veterinary workforce leaving some communities,
especially rural areas, with insufficient access to food supply
veterinary services.
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\1\ Government Accountability Office, Veterinary Workforce:
Actions Are Needed to Ensure Sufficient Capacity for Protecting
Public and Animal Health, GAO-09-178: Feb 18, 2009.
\2\ National Academies of Science, Workforce Needs in Veterinary
Medicine, 2013.
\3\ Andrus DM, Gwinner KP, Prince, JB. Food Supply Veterinary
Medicine Coalition Report: Estimating FSM Demand and Maintaining the
Availability of Veterinarians in Food Supply Related Disciplines in
the United States and Canada, 2016. <a href="https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/Pages/Food-Supply-Veterinary-Medicine-Coalition-Report.aspx">https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/Pages/Food-Supply-Veterinary-Medicine-Coalition-Report.aspx</a>.
\4\ Andrus DM, Gwinner KP, Prince, JB. Future demand, probable
shortages and strategies for creating a better future in food supply
veterinary medicine. 2006, JAVMA 229(1):57-69.
\5\ Andrus DM, Gwinner KP, Prince, JB. Attracting students to
careers in food supply veterinary medicine. 2006, JAVMA 228(1):1693-
1704.
\6\ Andrus DM, Gwinner KP, Prince, JB. Job satisfaction, changes
in occupational area and commitment to a career in food supply
veterinary medicine. 2006, JAVMA 228(12):1884-1893.
\7\ CAST, Impact of Recruitment and Retention of Food Animal
Veterinarians on the U.S. Food Supply, Issue Papers--IP67: April
2020. <a href="https://www.cast-science.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CAST_IP67_Vet-Students.pdf">https://www.cast-science.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CAST_IP67_Vet-Students.pdf</a>.
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Two programs, born out of this concern, aim to mitigate the
maldistribution of the veterinary workforce: the Veterinary Medicine
Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and Veterinary Services Grant Program
(VSGP), both administered by USDA-NIFA. VMLRP addresses increasing
veterinary school debt by offering veterinary school debt repayments in
exchange for service in shortage situations, while VSGP addresses other
factors contributing to the maldistribution of veterinarians serving
the agricultural sector. Specifically, the VSGP promotes availability
and access to (1) specialized education and training which will enable
veterinarians and veterinary technicians to provide services in
designated veterinarian shortage situations, and (2) practice-enhancing
equipment and personnel resources to enable veterinary practices to
expand or improve access to veterinary services.
Paperwork Reduction Act: In accordance with the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) regulations (5 CFR part 1320) that
implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.),
the information collection and recordkeeping requirements imposed by
the implementation of these guidelines have been approved by OMB
Control Number 0524-0050.

Table of Contents in Guidelines for Veterinary Shortage Situation
Nominations

I. Preface and Authority
II. Nomination of Veterinary Shortage Situations
A. General
1. Eligible Shortage Situations
2. Authorized Respondents and Use of Consultation
3. State Allocation of Nominations
4. FY 2023-2025 Shortage Situation Nomination Process
5. Submission and Due Dates
6. Periods Covered
7. Definitions
B. Nomination Form
C. NIFA Review of Shortage Situation Nominations
1. Review Panel Composition and Process
2. Review Criteria

Guidelines for Veterinary Shortage Situation Nominations

I. Preface and Authority

In December 2003, the National Veterinary Medical Service Act
(NVMSA) was passed into law adding section 1415A to the National
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1997
(NARETPA). This law established a new Veterinary Medicine Loan
Repayment Program (7 U.S.C. 3151a) authorizing the Secretary of
Agriculture to carry out a program of entering into agreements with
veterinarians under which they agree to provide veterinary services in
veterinarian shortage situations in return for repayment of qualified
educational loans. In FY 2010, NIFA announced the first funding
opportunity for the VMLRP.
Section 7104 of the 2014 Farm Bill (Pub. L. 113-79) added section
1415B to NARETPA, as amended, (7 U.S.C. 3151b) to establish the
Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP). This amendment authorizes the
Secretary of Agriculture to make competitive grants to qualified
entities and veterinary practices that carry out programs in
veterinarian shortage situations and for the purpose of developing,
implementing, and sustaining veterinary services. Funding for the VSGP
was first appropriated in FY 2016 through the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2016 (Pub. L. 114-113).
Pursuant to the requirements enacted in the NVMSA of 2003 (as
amended), and the implementing regulation for this Act, Part 3431
Subpart A of the VMLRP Final Rule [75 FR 20239-20248], NIFA hereby
implements guidelines for eligible nominating officials to nominate
veterinary shortage situations for the FY 2023-2025 program cycle.

II. Nomination of Veterinary Shortage Situations

A. General

1. Eligible Shortage Situations: Section 1415A of NARETPA, as
amended and revised by Section 7105 of the Food, Conservation and
Energy Act, directs determination of veterinarian shortage situations
for the VMLRP to consider (1) geographical areas that the Secretary
determines have a shortage of veterinarians; and (2) areas of
veterinary practice that the Secretary determines have a shortage of
veterinarians, such as food animal medicine, public health,
epidemiology, and food safety. This section also added that priority
should be given to agreements with veterinarians for the practice of
food animal medicine in veterinarian shortage situations.
While the NVMSA (as amended) specifies priority be given to food
animal medicine shortage situations, and that consideration also be
given to specialty areas such as public health, epidemiology and food
safety, the Act does not identify any areas of veterinary practice as
ineligible. Accordingly, all nominated veterinary shortage situations
will be considered eligible for submission.
A subset of the shortages designated for VMLRP applicants is also
available to satisfy requirements, as applicable, for VSGP applicants
applying to the Rural Practice Enhancement component of the program. In
addition, a shortage situation under the VSGP must also be designated
rural as defined in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)).
Nominations describing either public or private practice veterinary
shortage situations are eligible for submission.
2. Authorized Respondents and Use of Consultation: The only
authorized respondent on behalf of each State is the chief State Animal
Health Official (SAHO), as duly authorized by the Governor or the
Governor's designee in each State. The only authorized respondent on
behalf of the Federal Government is the Chief Federal Animal Health
Officer (Deputy Administrator of Veterinary Services, the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service or designee), as duly authorized by the
Secretary of Agriculture. The eligible nominating official must submit
nominations using the instructions provided in section A.4, FY 2023-
2025 Shortage Situation Nomination Process. NIFA strongly encourages
the nominating officials to involve leading health animal experts in
the State in the

[[Page 37304]]

identification and prioritization of shortage situation nominations.
3. State Allocation of Nominations: NIFA will accept the number of
nominations equivalent to the maximum number of designated shortage
areas for each State. For historical background and more information on
the rationale for capping nominations and State allocation method,
visit <a href="https://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-nomination-and-designation-veterinary-shortage-situations">https://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-nomination-and-designation-veterinary-shortage-situations</a>.
The maximum number of nominations (and potential designations) is
based on data from the 2017 Agricultural Census conducted by the USDA
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Awards from previous
years have no bearing on a State's maximum number of allowable shortage
nomination submissions or designations in any given year, or number of
nominations or designations allowed for subsequent years. NIFA reserves
the right in the future to proportionally adjust the maximum number of
designated shortage situations per State to ensure a balance between
available funds and the requirement to ensure that priority is given to
mitigating veterinary shortages corresponding to situations of greatest
need. Nomination Allocation tables for FY 2023-2025 are available under
the VMLRP Shortage Situations section of the VMLRP website at <a href="https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/vmlrp-shortage-allocations">https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/vmlrp-shortage-allocations</a>.
Table I lists the maximum nomination allocations by State. Table II
lists ``Special Consideration Areas'' which include any State or
Insular Area not reporting data to NASS, reporting less than $1,000,000
in annual Livestock and Livestock Products Total Sales ($), and/or
possessing less than 500,000 acres. One nomination is allocated to any
State or Insular Area classified as a Special Consideration Area.
Table III shows the values and quartile ranks of States for two
variables broadly correlated with demand for food supply veterinary
services: ``Livestock and Livestock Products Total Sales ($)'' (LPTS)
and ``Land Area (acres)'' (LA). The maximum number of NIFA-designated
shortage situations per State is based on the sum of quartile rankings
for LPTS and LA for each State and can be found in Table IV.
While Federal Lands are widely dispersed within States and Insular
Areas across the country, they constitute a composite total land area
over twice the size of Alaska. If the 200-mile limit for U.S. coastal
waters and associated fishery areas are included, Federal Land total
acreage would exceed 1 billion. Both State and Federal Animal Health
officials have responsibilities for matters relating to terrestrial and
aquatic food animal health on Federal Lands. Interaction between
wildlife and domestic livestock, such as sheep and cattle, is
particularly common in the plains States where significant portions of
Federal lands are leased for grazing. The USDA Food Safety and
Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) ensures food safety in processing plants
via Federal veterinarians' inspection of meat, poultry, Siluriformes
and eggs. These Federal veterinarians ensure food is safe for human
consumption and properly packaged and labeled. Therefore, both SAHOs
and the Chief Federal Animal Health Officer (Deputy Administrator of
Veterinary Services, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service or
designee) may submit nominations to address shortage situations on or
related to Federal Lands, or the USDA-FSIS. Nominations related to
Federal Lands or USDA-FSIS submitted by SAHOs will count towards the
maximum number of nominations for that individual state.
NIFA emphasizes that the shortage nomination allocation is set to
broadly balance the number of designated shortage situations across
States prior to the nomination and award phases of the VMLRP and VSGP.
Awards will be made based strictly on the peer review panel's
assessment according to each program's review criteria; thus no State,
Insular Area or Federal designation will be given a preference for
placement of awardees. Additionally, each designated shortage situation
will be limited to one award per program.
4. FY 2023-2025 Shortage Situation Nomination Process: For the FY
2023-2025 program cycle, all eligible nominating officials submitting
may: (1) request to retain designated status for any shortage situation
successfully designated in the previous year and/or (2) submit new
nominations. Any shortage from previous year not retained or submitted
as a new nomination will not be considered a shortage situation in the
next year. The total number of new nominations plus designated
nominations retained (carried over) may not exceed the maximum number
of nominations each eligible nominating official is permitted.
The following process is the mechanism for retaining a designated
nomination: Each nominating official should review the map of VMLRP
designated shortage situations for the previous year--FY 2022's map can
be found here: (<a href="https://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-map">https://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-map</a>) and download a PDF
copy of the nomination form they wish to renew. If the nominating
official wishes to retain (carry over) one or more designated
nomination(s), the nominating official shall copy and paste the prior
year information into the current year's nomination form and submit it
to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e6908b8a9496c88796968a8f8587928f898895a693958287c8818990">[email&#160;protected]</a>.
Both new and retained nominations must be submitted on the
Veterinary Shortage Situation Nomination form provided in the VMLRP
Shortage Situations section at <a href="https://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-nomination-and-designation-veterinary-shortage-situations">https://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-nomination-and-designation-veterinary-shortage-situations</a>.
Nominations retained (carried over) will be designated without
review unless major changes in content are identified during
administrative processing or the shortage has been retained for three
years. Major changes in content or shortages already retained for three
consecutive years will be treated as new submissions and undergo merit
review.
If a state elects not to participate in the nomination process in a
given year, the SAHO, or their designee, will notify the NIFA Program
Office by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dfa9b2b3adaff1beafafb3b6bcbeabb6b0b1ac9faaacbbbef1b8b0a9">[email&#160;protected]</a> prior to the deadline to
submit shortage nominations each year the state elects not to
participate.
5. Submission and Due Date: Submissions must be made by downloading
the Veterinarian Shortage Situation nomination form provided in the
VMLRP Shortage Situations section at <a href="https://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-shortage-situations">https://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-shortage-situations</a>, completing the fillable PDF form, and submitting
it via email to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ff8992938d8fd19e8f8f93969c9e8b9690918cbf8a8c9b9ed1989089">[email&#160;protected]</a>.
Both new and retained (carry-over) nominations must be submitted on
or before the deadlines in the table below.

[[Page 37305]]

7. Period Covered: Each shortage situation is approved for one
program year cycle only. However, any previously approved shortage
situation not filled in a given program year may be resubmitted as a
retained (carry-over) nomination. Retained (carry-over) shortage
nominations (without any revisions) will be automatically approved for
up to three years before requiring another merit review. By
resubmitting a carry-over nomination, the nominating official is
affirming that in his or her professional judgment the original case
made for shortage status, and the original description of needs, remain
current and accurate.
8. Definitions: For the purpose of implementing the solicitation
for veterinary shortage situations, the definitions provided in 7 CFR
part 3431 are applicable. Given the evolving nature of food supply
veterinary medicine, the Secretary has determined that equines used in
agricultural production, any vertebrates or invertebrates that are
consumed by, or produce food consumed by, humans are to be included in
the list of food animals.

B. Nomination Form

The VMLRP Shortage Nomination Form must be used to nominate
veterinarian shortage situations. Once designated as a shortage
situation, VMLRP applicants will use the information to select shortage
situations they are willing and qualified to fill, and to guide the
preparation of their applications. NIFA will use the information to
assess contractual compliance of awardees. The form is available in the
VMLRP Shortage Situations section at <a href="https://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-nomination-and-designation-veterinary-shortage-situations">https://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-nomination-and-designation-veterinary-shortage-situations</a>. See Part II
A. 5. for submission information. Resources to complete each field can
be found at <a href="https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/vmlrp-veterinary-shortage-situation-nomination-guide">https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/vmlrp-veterinary-shortage-situation-nomination-guide</a> and <a href="https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/vmlrp-shortage-nomination-form">https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/vmlrp-shortage-nomination-form</a>.

C. NIFA Review of Shortage Situation Nominations

1. Review Panel Composition and Process: NIFA will convene a panel
of food supply veterinary medicine experts from Federal and/or State
agencies, industry, private mixed or large animal practice or an
institution receiving Animal Health and Disease Research Program funds
under section 1433 of NARETPA or an 1862 Land-Grant institution, to
review the nominations and make recommendations to the National Program
Leader. NIFA will review the panel's recommendations and designate the
VMLRP shortage situations. The list of approved shortage situations
will be made available on the VMLRP website at <a href="http://www.nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp">www.nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp</a>.
2. Review Criteria: Criteria used by the shortage situation
nomination review panel and NIFA for certifying a veterinary shortage
situation will be consistent with the information requested in the
shortage situations nomination form. NIFA understands the process for
defining the risk landscape associated veterinary service shortages
within a State may require consideration of many qualitative and
quantitative factors. In addition, each shortage situation will be
characterized by a different array of subjective and objective
supportive information that must be developed into a cogent case
identifying, characterizing, and justifying a given geographic or
disciplinary area as deficient in certain types of veterinary capacity
or service. To accommodate the uniqueness of each shortage situation,
the nomination form provides opportunities to present a case using both
supportive metrics and narrative explanations to define and explain the
proposed need.
While NIFA anticipates some arguments made in support of a given
shortage situation will be qualitative, respondents are encouraged to
present verifiable quantitative and qualitative evidentiary information
wherever possible. Absence of sufficient data to support a shortage
such as animal and veterinarian census data for the proposed shortage
area(s), or sufficient information regarding the characteristics of the
shortage so that applicants may prepare successful applications and
panelists are able to fully evaluate the fit of the applicant to the
shortage area, may lead the panel to recommend revision of the shortage
nomination to address these issues. If the revisions are not addressed,
the shortage nominations will not be approved.

Done in Washington, DC, this day of May 24, 2022.
Dionne Toombs,
Acting Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2022-13321 Filed 6-21-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P

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