Indiana has been facing a veterinarian shortage for quite a while. That’s why one of your state lawmakers has introduced a bill to help alleviate the problem.
“This is what I would call a reciprocity agreement for out-of-state veterinarians,” says Indiana State Senator Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg), who has written Senate Bill 56.
“If you have an out-of-state veterinarian that has a proper license and is good standing, they can apply for a license in Indiana without taking an exam with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health.”
She tells Hoosier Ag Today that many Indiana beef, dairy, and pork producers have been looking for solutions to the state’s veterinarian shortage.
“I think that this will help eliminate part of this shortage—especially with large animal veterinarians.”
Leising adds that the bill has already crossed one major hurdle.
“This is a good bill that passed about a week ago out of the Senate, and is now headed over to the House for action, and so we’ll be anxiously awaiting for a hearing over there,” says Leising.
The bill passed unanimously in the Indiana Senate and has now been assigned to the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. The bill has been sponsored in the Indiana House by State Rep. Beau Baird (R-Greencastle).
CLICK HERE for more information on Senate Bill 56.
