diff --git a/jax/_src/scipy/stats/betabinom.py b/jax/_src/scipy/stats/betabinom.py
index e93e6117c..f2366ed7d 100644
--- a/jax/_src/scipy/stats/betabinom.py
+++ b/jax/_src/scipy/stats/betabinom.py
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ from jax._src.numpy.util import _wraps
 from jax._src.numpy.lax_numpy import _promote_args_inexact, where, inf, logical_or, nan
 from jax._src.scipy.special import betaln
 
-scipy_version = tuple(map(int, scipy.version.version.split('.')[:2]))
-
 
 def logpmf(k, n, a, b, loc=0):
   """JAX implementation of scipy.stats.betabinom.logpmf."""
@@ -45,7 +43,5 @@ def pmf(k, n, a, b, loc=0):
   return lax.exp(logpmf(k, n, a, b, loc))
 
 
-# betabinom was added in scipy 1.4.0
-if scipy_version >= (1, 4):
-  logpmf = _wraps(osp_stats.betabinom.logpmf, update_doc=False)(logpmf)
-  pmf = _wraps(osp_stats.betabinom.pmf, update_doc=False)(pmf)
+logpmf = _wraps(osp_stats.betabinom.logpmf, update_doc=False)(logpmf)
+pmf = _wraps(osp_stats.betabinom.pmf, update_doc=False)(pmf)
diff --git a/jaxlib/setup.py b/jaxlib/setup.py
index e87a9cde9..768477a5a 100644
--- a/jaxlib/setup.py
+++ b/jaxlib/setup.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ setup(
     author_email='jax-dev@google.com',
     packages=['jaxlib', 'jaxlib.xla_extension'],
     python_requires='>=3.7',
-    install_requires=['scipy', 'numpy>=1.19', 'absl-py', 'flatbuffers >= 1.12, < 3.0'],
+    install_requires=['scipy>=1.5', 'numpy>=1.19', 'absl-py', 'flatbuffers >= 1.12, < 3.0'],
     url='https://github.com/google/jax',
     license='Apache-2.0',
     classifiers=[
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 0b62f37de..293abfc22 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ setup(
         'absl-py',
         'numpy>=1.19',
         'opt_einsum',
-        'scipy>=1.2.1',
+        'scipy>=1.5',
         'typing_extensions',
         'etils[epath]'
     ],
diff --git a/tests/scipy_optimize_test.py b/tests/scipy_optimize_test.py
index ac6b903ca..7d6f02177 100644
--- a/tests/scipy_optimize_test.py
+++ b/tests/scipy_optimize_test.py
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-import contextlib
-
 from absl.testing import absltest, parameterized
 import numpy as np
 import scipy
@@ -26,7 +24,6 @@ from jax.config import config
 import jax.scipy.optimize
 
 config.parse_flags_with_absl()
-scipy_version = tuple(map(int, scipy.version.version.split('.')[:2]))
 
 
 def rosenbrock(np):
@@ -127,16 +124,12 @@ class TestBFGS(jtu.JaxTestCase):
         x0=initial_value,
         method='BFGS',
     ).x
-    # Scipy does type-promoting binary ops on JAX array inputs.
-    # Newer versions of scipy (1.5+) don't have this issue.
-    with (jax.numpy_dtype_promotion('standard') if scipy_version < (1, 5)
-          else contextlib.nullcontext()):
-      scipy_res = scipy.optimize.minimize(
-          fun=opt_fn,
-          jac=jax.grad(opt_fn),
-          method='BFGS',
-          x0=initial_value
-      ).x
+    scipy_res = scipy.optimize.minimize(
+        fun=opt_fn,
+        jac=jax.grad(opt_fn),
+        method='BFGS',
+        x0=initial_value
+    ).x
     self.assertAllClose(scipy_res, jax_res, atol=2e-5, check_dtypes=False)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/scipy_stats_test.py b/tests/scipy_stats_test.py
index 2dfcde31d..8ec6d9a5b 100644
--- a/tests/scipy_stats_test.py
+++ b/tests/scipy_stats_test.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import itertools
 from absl.testing import absltest, parameterized
 
 import numpy as np
-import scipy as osp
 import scipy.stats as osp_stats
 
 import jax
@@ -31,7 +30,6 @@ config.parse_flags_with_absl()
 
 all_shapes = [(), (4,), (3, 4), (3, 1), (1, 4), (2, 1, 4)]
 one_and_two_dim_shapes = [(4,), (3, 4), (3, 1), (1, 4)]
-scipy_version = tuple(map(int, osp.version.version.split('.')[:2]))
 
 
 def genNamedParametersNArgs(n):
@@ -554,10 +552,9 @@ class LaxBackedScipyStatsTests(jtu.JaxTestCase):
       return [k, n, a, b, loc]
 
     with jtu.strict_promotion_if_dtypes_match(dtypes):
-      if scipy_version >= (1, 4):
-        scipy_fun = osp_stats.betabinom.logpmf
-        self._CheckAgainstNumpy(scipy_fun, lax_fun, args_maker, check_dtypes=False,
-                                tol=5e-4)
+      scipy_fun = osp_stats.betabinom.logpmf
+      self._CheckAgainstNumpy(scipy_fun, lax_fun, args_maker, check_dtypes=False,
+                              tol=5e-4)
       self._CompileAndCheck(lax_fun, args_maker, rtol=1e-5, atol=1e-5)
 
   def testIssue972(self):