HB 2167, which allocates critical funding to the OSU Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, will have a hearing in the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. (PST)
Your support of the bill is needed! Please consider helping us build a written record of support for this legislation. Representatives Ken Helm and Mark Owens co-chair the committee, and you’ll want to address your comments to them.
To upload your letter in PDF format, or to type your comments directly into the system, click the button below and select the January 22 meeting date. You can submit written testimony to the Committee until 8:00 a.m. on Friday, January 24, 2025.
Submit Your Testimony
Also, please send a copy to your legislators.
Look Up Your Legislators
Talking Points for Crafting Testimony
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Workforce Development - The Oregon Employment Department ranks veterinarians as one of Oregon’s fastest growing occupations and estimates a 25% growth over the next 10 years, and OSU is one of only 33 accredited veterinary medical school in the US. Opportunities exist for specialized training, such as zoo, exotics, and wildlife medicine, marine sciences, clinical nutrition, and various clinical specialties (cardiology, oncology, theriogenology, anesthesiology, internal medicine, and surgery). OSU gives students a well-rounded education that emphasizes the importance of core training in comparative biology and medicine, including all primary clinical disciplines and domestic animal species.
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Current Veterinary Shortages - Oregon has six federally designated regions with a chronic shortage of veterinarians. Douglas, Sherman, Tillamook, Klamath, Crook and Umatilla counties have severe, long-standing shortages of food animal veterinarians to support area farmers and ranchers. This negatively impacts Oregon agriculture which accounts for 13% of the state’s GDP.
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Public Health - Disease threats to Oregonians continue to evolve. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu) has jumped into mammals, including cattle and humans, while diseases such as chronic wasting disease and mosquito-borne diseases threaten public health and the health of the environment, impacting hunting and outdoor recreation.
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Uniquely Positioned - The Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (OVDL) is Oregon’s only laboratory positioned to address diseases of concern to Oregon’s animals, public, and environment. Its ability to address these concerns is gravely threatened by chronic insufficient funding and badly outdated facilities.
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Funding - Support for veterinary medical education and cutting-edge disease diagnostics in Oregon has lagged the rest of the nation for decades, leaving the state vulnerable to emerging disease threats and with too few veterinarians to support animal agriculture. OSU ranks 31 out of 33 veterinary colleges in state funding at $3.4 million; the national average is $13.4 million annually. Revenue generated from tuition to the college is not nearly enough to ensure excellence in its service and teaching.
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The Request – OSU is requesting $10 million for the Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital and $3.5 million for the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Lab to support protecting public and animal health through disease surveillance, diagnosis, and the training of future veterinarians. The funds will address the severe shortage of veterinarians in rural Oregon, support ongoing veterinary education, and enhance our capacity to combat significant health threats to animals and humans.
Thank you – we appreciate your support!