Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas A Bill
2 95th General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 61
4
5 By: Senator Hill
6 By: Representatives Vaught, Painter
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE VETERINARY TELEMEDICINE IN THIS
10 STATE; TO SET CERTAIN STANDARDS FOR VETERINARY
11 TELEMEDICINE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
12
13
14 Subtitle
15 TO AUTHORIZE VETERINARY TELEMEDICINE IN
16 THIS STATE; AND TO SET CERTAIN STANDARDS
17 FOR VETERINARY TELEMEDICINE.
18
19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
20
21 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 17-101-102, concerning definitions within
22 the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Practice Act and relating to the practice of
23 veterinary medicine, is amended to add additional subdivisions to read as
24 follows:
25 (21) "Large animal" means an animal that is livestock as defined
26 by 7 U.S.C. � 1471, as existing on January 1, 2025, or is classified as a
27 Category II animal under the National Veterinary Accreditation Program;
28 (22) "Small animal" means an animal that is classified as a
29 Category I animal under the National Veterinary Accreditation Program,
30 including without limitation a dog, cat, rat, mouse, gerbil, guinea pig,
31 hamster, ferret, hedgehog, or lizard; and
32 (23)(A) "Veterinary telemedicine" means the practice of
33 veterinary medicine in which the animal patient care, treatment, and services
34 are provided by electronic communication, including telephone and audio-
35 visual technology, consistent with the veterinarian's professional judgment.
36 (B) "Veterinary telemedicine" includes providing:
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SB61
1 (i) Health information, opinion, guidance, or
2 recommendation that is not specific to a particular animal; or
3 (ii) A timely assessment and decision as to whether
4 to immediately refer an animal patient to a veterinarian for emergency or
5 urgent care.
6
7 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 17, Chapter 101, Subchapter 1, is
8 amended to add an additional section to read as follows:
9 17-101-104. Veterinary telemedicine standards.
10 (a) Only a licensed veterinarian shall provide veterinary telemedicine
11 to an animal patient located in this state.
12 (b) In an emergency or urgent situation, a licensed veterinarian may
13 provide veterinary telemedicine without previously establishing a
14 veterinarian-client-patient relationship if the licensed veterinarian
15 establishes a veterinarian-client-patient relationship within:
16 (1) Seven (7) calendar days after providing the veterinary
17 telemedicine services for a small animal; or
18 (2) Twenty-one (21) calendar days after providing the veterinary
19 telemedicine services for a large animal.
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2 01/14/2025 2:26:15 PM JMB009Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.