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Senate backs bill allowing veterinarians to establish patient relationships via telemedicine for emergencies
Summary
Senate Bill 61, sponsored by Senator Hill, permits Arkansas-licensed veterinarians to use telemedicine to establish veterinarian-client-patient relationships in emergency situations, with time limits to follow up in person; senators debated limits and scope.
The Arkansas Senate passed Senate Bill 61, which allows licensed veterinarians to use telemedicine to establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship in urgent or emergency situations and sets a timeframe for an in-person follow-up.
Sponsor Senator Hill described the bill as a response to a veterinarian shortage and said it would help constituents in underserved parts of the state. Under the bill, a telemedicine encounter may establish a relationship if the veterinarian completes an in-person exam within seven days for small animals or 21 days for large animals, according to Hill.
Several senators raised practical and safety concerns. Senator Stubblefield, who said he is a farmer, warned that some procedures and diagnoses "you can't do" over telemedicine, particularly for horses. Hill replied the bill preserves the veterinarian's authority to require an in-person exam: "the veterinarian has each choice to say in here, you need to bring that animal to me or I need to get by there to you."
Senator Hammer asked whether owners can require an on-site visit rather than telemedicine; Hill said arrangements between a client and a veterinarian remain a private matter: "That'd be between the client and the vet." Senator Deese asked whether nonlicensed staff could prescribe medication; Hill said only licensed veterinarians may prescribe under state law.
Hill said the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association helped draft the bill and that meetings with practitioners produced no organized opposition. He told senators he and Representative Veil held multiple multi-hour meetings with veterinarians and described the bill as "thoroughly vetted."
The Senate recorded the vote by roll call and the bill passed by recorded ballot (roll call result recorded on the floor). The bill will be transmitted to the House.
The floor debate underscored tensions between expanding telemedicine access in veterinary care and ensuring that animals needing hands-on treatment receive timely in-person services.
