HB 172: Veterinary education; limits on student loan forgiveness program; provide

Georgia runs a program that helps pay off veterinary school loans for people who agree to practice in rural counties, particularly in food animal medicine. This bill changes several of the program's rules. It raises the total loan purchase cap from $80,000 to $90,000 per person and raises the per-year repayment rate from $20,000 to $30,000 for each 12 months of qualifying service. The bill also expands who can apply for food-animal-specialty loan purchases to include former students, but limits that eligibility to veterinarians who have practiced food animal medicine for ten years or less. It updates the population threshold for qualifying rural counties from 35,000 to 50,000 residents, based on the 2020 census instead of 2010. Finally, it sets a three-year contract term, removes the need to reapply annually (though annual certification is required), and limits recipients to one award per lifetime.

• Raises the maximum loan purchase amount a veterinarian can receive from $80,000 to $90,000 under O.C.G.A. § 20-3-518.4.
• Increases the per-year loan repayment rate for rural service from $20,000 to $30,000 for each 12 months worked.
• Expands eligibility for food-animal-specialty loan purchases to former students, but only if they have practiced that specialty for ten years or less.
• Raises the population cutoff for qualifying rural counties from 35,000 to 50,000 residents and updates the reference census year from 2010 to 2020.
• Sets a required three-year contract term, ends the need to reapply annually while adding a yearly certification requirement, and caps recipients to one award per lifetime.

Veterinary students and former students who are Georgia residents and want loan help in exchange for practicing in rural areas, especially those specializing in food animal medicine, along with the state board that administers the program and rural counties seeking to attract veterinarians.

Veterinarians considering rural practice, particularly in food animal care, would be eligible for more loan forgiveness money and could qualify in more counties as the population threshold rises. The one-award-per-lifetime rule and tightened food-animal eligibility window could also narrow who benefits over time.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-3-518.3 to let former students, not just current students, qualify, but restricts food-animal-specialty eligibility to those practicing it for ten years or less.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-3-518.4 to raise the total loan purchase cap from $80,000 to $90,000, raise the county population cutoff from 35,000 to 50,000, update the census reference to 2020, and raise the per-year rate from $20,000 to $30,000.
• Section 3 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-3-518.5 to require a three-year contract term, remove the annual reapplication requirement in favor of annual certification, and limit recipients to one award per lifetime.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-07-01Effective Date
2. 2025-05-12Act 119
3. 2025-05-12House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-09House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-04-04Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-04-04Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2025-04-04Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
8. 2025-04-02Senate Tabled (Senate)

• David Huddleston (R, HD-72)Primary sponsor
• Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
• Robert Dickey (R, HD-134)
• Spencer Frye (D, HD-122)
• Jaclyn Ford (R, HD-170)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-6)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 26, 2025

   164 yea, 4 nay (6 not voting, 6 excused)

   PASSAGE: House Vote #82

2. PassedSenate voteApril 4, 2025

   43 yea, 4 nay (7 not voting, 2 excused)

   PASSAGE: Senate Vote #457

• veterinary medicine
• student loan forgiveness
• rural health care
• food animal veterinarians
• higher education funding