Montana lawmakers working on bill targeting shortage of rural veterinarians

Galt, a fifth-generation Montana rancher, explained that veterinarians help with both animal care and business decisions on the ranch. 

“You normally think about the C-sections, the prolapses— them coming out and doing that. But vets are a wealth of information beyond that. I don't know how many times when I'm marketing or planning something business-wise, I call my vet and say, you know, ‘You see a lot, what do you think about this? What do you think about that?’ And they're just a huge help on so many fronts,” said Galt. 

In Martinsdale, the closest veterinarian is about 30 miles away. In more rural parts of Montana, the drive could stretch to a few hours, with poor weather and road conditions making that trip even longer.

Rural vets respond to all kinds of livestock healthcare needs and emergencies. That time and distance is not only life or death for a birthing cow and its calf, but it is also a lot of money on the line for the rancher, Galt explained.

Galt and Rep. Randyn Gregg of Montana House District 78 teamed up to create House Bill 860 in 2025. The bill proposes a loan repayment program for rural veterinarians. Gregg, who is a farrier and often works in tandem with vets, explained the workforce problem is growing as older workers retire. 

“A lot of our veterinarians, even your farriers, they tend to age out as our baby boomer generation retires. You need younger people to replace those. And we're not having that right now,” said Gregg. 

On top of that, Montana currently does not have a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. Students can enroll in a program through Montana State University and spend their first year pursuing a DVM in Bozeman, then transfer to Washington State University to finish their studies. Rocky Vista University in Billings is in the process of starting a DVM program. 

Galt and Gregg based the bill off a similar piece of legislation from Kansas, incorporating advice from rural vets they work with. 

“I had the speaker of the House come out and help me calve some heifers this year. So, we had to call our vet at about six in the morning, and the three of us are sitting over there in the calving shed doing this C-section, talking about this bill like, you know, “As the vet what would work for you? What would make this work?’” Galt explained. 

Under the bill, students who earned a veterinary medicine doctorate and committed to working in a rural Montana community for four years could have up to $100,000 in student loans reimbursed. 

A commission created by the state would select four students each year to benefit from this program, with preference given to Montana residents. 

“You incentivize them to come here and then they put down roots when they show up and then they stick around. It's hard to get someone to come into a small town, but usually once you're in a small town, you fall in love with it pretty quick,” Galt said. 

Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed the bill, citing costs to the state's general fund. Galt and Gregg then went back to work on a new version, collaborating with the governor’s office and continuing work with rural veterinarians. 

“This is a $5.27 billion industry - agriculture - and any given year, we have about 2 to 2.5 million cattle, 130,000 horses. So, they see the need for that. We know the need for that. And we're ready to get it across the finish line,” Gregg said. 

The lawmakers said they planned to introduce the bill during the 2027 legislative session.