Iowa State University's Legislative Priorities

Iowa State University's legislative request for FY2027 is focused on funding to support the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the Iowa Ag Tech Innovation Initiative through the ISU Agriculture Experiment Statton and ISU Agriculture Extension. These requests are important to the missions of the college of veterinary medicine and animal health care in Iowa more broadly. Details about these requests can be seen by clicking on the hyperlinks above or a summary can be found here.

Join Us in Des Moines for

IVMA Legislative Day

Each year, the IVMA sponsors IVMA Legislative Day to advocate for legislation that is important to Iowa veterinarians. This event allows IVMA members from around the state to visit the Capitol to talk directly with Iowa legislators.

We need YOU to help make a strong showing of veterinarians. During this event you will represent the IVMA and veterinary profession, deepen your understanding of the policymaking process and help shape future legislation.

This year's Legislative Day will take place on Tuesday, February 24 with breakfast for legislators at the Iowa Capitol. A virtual Pre-Legislative Day Orientation for attendees will take place on Thursday, February 19 at 6:00 pm. A link to this meeting will be sent to all Legislative Day registrants.

Register for Legislative Day online at www.iowavma.org or call the IVMA office at 800-369-9564 by Thursday, 2/19. There is no cost to attend.

Nominations are Now Open for the 2026 CVM Alumni Awards

The ISU College of Veterinary Medicine is seeking nominations for its annual alumni awards which will be presented in fall of 2026. We encourage you to take this opportunity to recognize deserving colleagues. The deadline for nominations is March 9, 2026.

Nominations are being invited in the following award categories:

Stange Award

William P. Switzer Award

Lorraine J. Hoffman Graduate Alumni Award

Outstanding Young Alumni Award

Please click here for award description and nomination form. 

Questions? Please contact: Tracy Raef at traef@iastate.edu

Applications for Veterinary Loan Repayment Programs Open

The Rural Iowa Veterinarian Loan Repayment Program wass established to address critical veterinarian shortages in rural Iowa communities. Veterinarians who secure a full-time job in Iowa veterinary shortage areas during the 2026-27 year (generally, July 2026 - June 2027) can qualify for up to $60,000 in federal student loan repayment benefits paid out of a four-year service obligation.

The application will be released on February 1, 2026. 

Get more information.

The USDA has resumed the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program after a pause last year. The program offers up to $120,000 in student loan repayment in exchange for a commitment to practice in a designated shortage area for at least three years. Letters of intent are due by Feb. 19, and applications are due by March 5. View the VMLRP request for applications and the 2026 designated veterinary shortage situations.

IDALS Health Requirements for Exhibition Available

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has issued its 2026 Health Requirements for Exhibition of Livestock, Poultry and Birds.

View the requirements here.

AABP Webinar –

Bull Breeding Soundness Exam

AABP Webinar – Bull Breeding Soundness Exam

Speaker: Jennifer Koziol

Wednesday, January 28, 2-3 pm

The bull breeding soundness exam (BSE) is a critical component to the reproductive success of the cow-calf herd. The presentation will review the AABP position statement on the bull BSE developed by the Reproduction Committee and the role of the veterinarian which is used for advocacy for AABP. Attendees will also learn the components of the bull BSE based on the current SFT’s guidelines. The speakers will also review a recent article published in the Bovine Practitioner to identify iatrogenic defects to differentiate them from abnormal morphology of sperm to prevent misclassifying a bull.

Find all upcoming AABP webinars and log-in information under the Continuing Education tab on the AABP Website, select Webinars. AABP webinars are submitted for one hour of RACE approval and are recorded and available through the BCI website – click on the purple cowhead logo on any AABP webpage.

HPAI Detected in Kossuth County

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1 HPAI) in a mixed-species flock in Kossuth County. This is Iowa’s first detection of H5N1 HPAI within domestic birds in 2026. 

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is strongly encouraging Iowa poultry producers and backyard flock owners to continue bolstering their biosecurity practices and protocols to protect their flocks. The Department has numerous biosecurity resources to reference on its website. 

As H5N1 HPAI detections are confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, those cases are added to tracking websites located on the USDA APHIS website.

Survey on Antimicrobial Use in Dogs

A group of veterinarians from the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases (ISCAID) is recruiting participants for a research study to learn more about veterinarians' preferences for perioperative and postoperative antimicrobial use in dogs. To participate you must be 18 years or older and be a licensed veterinarian who treats dogs to participate in this study.

This survey is voluntary and should take approximately 10 minutes. This study has been approved by North Carolina State University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), protocol #28763. If you have any questions about the survey, how it is implemented, or the research study, please contact Dr. Erin Frey at erin_frey@ncsu.edu.



Take survey