C.R.S. § 23-31-1001

(1) The general assembly finds and determines that: (a) More than one-third of rural communities in Colorado have at most one livestock-oriented veterinarian, thus leaving the owners of hundreds of thousands of livestock with little or no access to veterinary medicine; (b) Food security and safety are directly linked to animal health; (c) Colorado plays a key role in meeting our growing population’s increasing demand for protein; (d) According to nationwide market statistics developed for the American Veterinary Medical Association, less than five percent of veterinarians in the United States practice predominantly on livestock; (e) Rural veterinarians play a critical role in protecting the health of animals and humans; (f) Many graduates of Colorado state university’s college of veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences were raised in rural areas and are interested in livestock-oriented practice; however, these graduates often feel limited to practice in areas of the state with higher starting salaries due to their loan repayment obligations; and (g) Loan forgiveness and repayment programs in other states have improved veterinarians’ ability to pursue veterinary practices in rural areas. (2) Therefore, the general assembly determines and declares that a veterinary education loan repayment program would benefit Colorado by providing financial incentives for veterinarians to practice in rural areas in which veterinary needs are not currently being met.