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Senate committee approves bill to expand veterinary telemedicine after heated testimony
Summary
After testimony from veterinarians and livestock advocates, the Senate Agriculture committee approved an amended bill allowing Arkansas-licensed veterinarians to provide certain telemedicine services without an in-person exam; opponents warned of misdiagnosis and workforce impacts while supporters stressed access for underserved rural areas.
The Senate Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 5 (as amended), a measure authorizing expanded veterinary telemedicine for Arkansas-licensed veterinarians.
Sponsor Senator Ricky Hill (Senate District 11) said the bill would give farmers and ranchers in underserved parts of the state another option for animal care and argued that modern telemedicine software supports secure records, e-prescribing and remote monitoring. "If veterinarians don't want to do it, they don't have to," Hill said, arguing telemedicine would help areas with few…
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