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Ohio Senate unanimously approves veterinary telehealth bill
Summary
The Ohio Senate passed Substitute Senate Bill 60 on June 3 to permit veterinarians to offer telehealth services with limits on prescribing and other safeguards; the measure passed the Senate 33-0.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Senate on June 3 passed Substitute Senate Bill 60, allowing licensed Ohio veterinarians to provide telehealth services to animal patients under defined safeguards, in a 33-0 vote.
The bill, sponsored in the Senate by Senator Wilkin, creates a permissive framework for veterinary telehealth — sometimes called “TeleVet” — to let veterinarians consult remotely and, in limited circumstances, issue short-term prescriptions without an immediate in-person exam.
Supporters said the law modernizes veterinary care and eases access for pet owners with transportation or mobility challenges while placing guardrails on remote prescribing. "It is permissive to the vet," Senator Wilkin said on the Senate floor, adding that veterinarians "do not have to do it." He said the bill requires Ohio licensure for out-of-state providers offering telehealth and bars prescribing of controlled substances through telehealth.
Senator Hoffman, a cosponsor, said telemedicine advanced rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic and can be safe when properly regulated. "No vet has to do it. No animal owner has to do it either," Hoffman said, noting telehealth can reduce travel time and expense when a specialty veterinarian is distant.
Key provisions discussed on the floor and recorded in the legislative debate include: - The practice is permissive: a veterinarian may choose whether to offer telehealth services. - A veterinarian must be licensed in Ohio to provide TeleVet services to Ohio animals. - Controlled substances may not be prescribed via telehealth. - Noncontrolled prescriptions issued via telehealth are limited to a 14-day supply with one additional 14-day refill; after that the animal must be seen in person. - The Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) participated as an interested party in drafting and reviewing the legislation, according to remarks on the floor.
The measure drew no recorded floor opposition and passed by voice and roll-call votes. The clerk recorded 33 yeas and 0 nays; the Senate declared the bill passed and titled it.
The bill’s Senate passage means SB 60 is now “passed and entitled” in the Senate record; the transcript does not record subsequent steps in the legislative process such as transmission to the House or enactment.
