The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has announced their funding opportunities for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and their Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSPG). Application periods for both awards are now open. Visit the websites below to learn more about the funding opportunities for each program and where the shortage locations have been designated for New Mexico.
VMLRP Funding Opportunity – deadline for the letter of intent is February 19, 2026, deadline for application is March 5, 2026
VSGP Funding Opportunity – deadline for application is April 16, 2026
Beginning January 1, 2026, the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) will begin the Texas transition to an electronic certificates of veterinary inspections (eCVIs) only system.
The TAHC looks forward to serving the animal agriculture industry with an electronic animal identification and digital record system, enabling quick disease response functions, reduction in transcription errors, and increasing processing speeds.
The Texas transition from paper to electronic CVIs will follow the dates below:
- January 1, 2026: All import CVIs, for interstate movement into Texas, are required to be electronic. TAHC will no longer accept paper CVIs for imports.
- Note: NASAHO Owner Hauler Statement for Lactating Dairy Cow Transport to Slaughter will continue to be accepted in electronic and paper forms if they are emailed directly to TAHC at imports@tahc.texas.gov. It is preferred and recommended that all official ID for lactating dairy cattle moving with this form be provided in Excel or digital format. Excel documents of official IDs are compatible and accepted by the electronic database.
- June 1, 2026: TAHC will no longer offer paper CVIs for purchase by authorized veterinarians.
- January 1, 2027: TAHC will require all interstate and intrastate CVIs to be electronic. TAHC will no longer accept paper CVIs for imports or exports
The future of Texas’ electronic system is a direct path to enhancing disease traceability efficiency and overall effectiveness for individual movement data needs and outbreak tracing efforts. All questions related to this transition and Texas movement requirements can be directed to the TAHC Program Records Department, 512-719-0777.