18 Jun 2026
Association will continue to work with lawmakers to ensure the inclusion of “veterinary priorities” in the final bill.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Image: rarrarorro / Adobe Stock
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has praised the United States House of Representatives for advancing a Farm Bill that would reauthorise federal programmes advancing veterinary causes.
The AVMA said it helped ensure the bill contained some of the veterinary community’s top legislative priorities following engagement with lawmakers and stakeholders.
The bill includes the Healthy Dog Importation Act, which would improve importation standards by ensuring dogs entering the country are in good health.
It would also extend reauthorisation of a range of animal disease prevention and management programmes through to 2031 and expand activities to improve animal disease traceability.
The Farm Bill proposal further reauthorises the Veterinary Services Grant Program and Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, including language for the secretary of agriculture to review and provide recommendations for their improvement.
The Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database Program, which protects against contamination of animal-derived foods from unsafe substances, would also be reauthorised.
AVMA president Michael Bailey said: “The AVMA applauds the House for advancing a Farm Bill that will strengthen dog importation standards, fund and assess federal programmes vital to veterinary medicine, and protect the country’s animal and public health.
“Enacting the Farm Bill is essential to advancing research into effective recruitment and retention strategies for veterinarians serving in rural and underserved communities.
“With the legislation now moving to the Senate for consideration, we look forward to working further with Congress and will continue to underscore the importance of including veterinary priorities in the final version of the Farm Bill.”