(A) A veterinarian who has signed a letter of intent under section 4741.43 of the Revised Code and the state veterinary medical licensing board may enter into a contract for the veterinarian's participation in the veterinarian loan repayment program. A lending institution also may be a party to the contract.

(B) The contract shall include all of the following obligations:

(1) The veterinarian agrees to provide large animal veterinary services or to provide veterinary services necessary to implement or enforce the law or to protect public health, as applicable, in a veterinary resource shortage area identified in the letter of intent for at least two years or one year per ten thousand dollars of repayment agreed to under division (B)(3) of this section, whichever is greater.

(2) When providing veterinary services in the veterinary resource shortage area, the veterinarian agrees to do both of the following:

(a) Provide veterinary services for a minimum of forty hours per week;

(b) Devote not less than sixty per cent of total monthly veterinary services to large animal veterinary services or veterinary services necessary to implement or enforce the law or to protect public health, as applicable.

(3) The state veterinary medical licensing board agrees, as provided in section 4741.41 of the Revised Code, to repay, so long as the veterinarian performs the service obligation agreed to under division (B)(1) of this section, all or part of the principal and interest of a government or other educational loan taken by the veterinarian for expenses described in section 4741.41 of the Revised Code.

(4) The veterinarian agrees to pay the state veterinary medical licensing board the following as damages if the veterinarian fails to complete the service obligation agreed to under division (B)(1) of this section:

(a) If the failure occurs during the first two years of the service obligation, two times the total amount the board has agreed to pay under division (B)(3) of this section;

(b) If the failure occurs after the first two years of the service obligation, two times the total amount the board is still obligated to repay under division (B)(3) of this section.

(C) The contract may include any other terms agreed upon by the parties, including an assignment to the state veterinary medical licensing board of the veterinarian's duty to pay the principal and interest of a government or other educational loan taken by the veterinarian for expenses described in section 4741.41 of the Revised Code. If the state veterinary medical licensing board assumes the veterinarian's duty to pay a loan, the contract shall set forth the total amount of principal and interest to be paid, an amortization schedule, and the amount of each payment to be made under the schedule.

(D) Not later than the thirty-first day of January each year, the board shall mail to each veterinarian to whom or on whose behalf repayment is made under section 4741.41 of the Revised Code a statement showing the amount of principal and interest repaid by the board in the preceding year pursuant to the contract. The statement shall be sent by ordinary mail with address correction and forwarding requested in the manner prescribed by the United States postal service.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.

Effective Date: 10-12-2006 .