RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM COMMITTEE; RULES

(a) The rural veterinarian incentive program committee consists of: (1) the executive director of the Texas Animal Health Commission, or the executive director's designee; (2) the executive director of the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, or the executive director's designee; (3) the dean of each accredited college of veterinary medicine located in this state, or the dean's designee; (4) a veterinarian with a mixed animal practice, representing each university system located in Texas with an accredited college of veterinary medicine, appointed by the board of regents of each university system; (5) a veterinarian with a large animal practice, representing each university system located in Texas with an accredited college of veterinary medicine, appointed by the board of regents of each university system; and (6) a practitioner of veterinary medicine who serves as a commissioner of the Texas Animal Health Commission, appointed by the chair of the Texas Animal Health Commission. (b) The executive director of the Texas Animal Health Commission serves as the presiding officer of the committee. (c) An appointed member of the committee serves a term of two years. (d) The committee shall adopt rules: (1) establishing criteria to determine whether a person is an eligible participant as the committee considers reasonable, including the person's: (A) background and interest in rural practice; and (B) financial need; (2) providing for requesting the distribution of money from the account for the program; (3) establishing the criteria necessary for a community or political subdivision in a rural county to qualify as a student sponsor under Section 56.105; (4) governing agreements of financial support between a rural sponsor and an eligible student; and (5) establishing other procedures necessary to administer the program. (e) In adopting rules under this section related to the selection, submission, or certification of areas identified as having a veterinary shortage for the purpose of this subchapter, the committee shall consider any applicable regulations adopted under 7 U.S.C. Section 3151a and previous work of the Texas Animal Health Commission.