Support continues to be shown for Murray State University's development of a School of Veterinary Medicine.
House Bill 153, led by State Representative Mary Beth Imes, has been filed and has 20 co-sponsors as of Jan. 30, 2025. The proposed legislation would amend KRS 164.295 to permit Murray State to offer doctoral degrees required for professional practice and licensure in veterinary medicine.
State Senator Jason Howell plans to file mirror legislation in the Senate when the General Assembly reconvenes.
According to a recent study by Deloitte, 80 out of Kentucky's 120 counties are currently designated as having a veterinary shortage or identified as an underserved rural area for veterinarians.
The state of Kentucky currently does not have a School of Veterinary Medicine, and approximately 70 students from Kentucky are accepted each year to out-of-state veterinary schools. In the United States, there are only 33 veterinary colleges accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
Murray State's Hutson School of Agriculture has the largest pre-veterinary medicine/veterinary technology enrollment of any university in Kentucky, with an enrollment of over 450 students in the fall 2024 semester, and is just one of three programs in Kentucky that is fully accredited by the AVMA.
In 2024, the state biennium budget included support for Murray State, including funding for a $60 million facility in order to construct a new Veterinary Sciences building to enhance existing and future programs in veterinary sciences.
Murray State currently holds many animal agriculture assets, including the A. Carman Animal Health Technology Center, the Rudolph Equine Education Center, multiple farms, as well as the Breathitt Veterinary Center, which is a nationally preeminent animal disease diagnostic laboratory dedicated to protecting the invaluable assets of Kentucky's equine, livestock and poultry industries.
