---
title: HB 1195. Veterinarians; practice and provision of veterinary teletriage and veterinary telemedicine; revise provisions
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1195
cite_as: HB 1195, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1195
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1195.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1195/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72844
date: 2026-05-11
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1194.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1196.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 977
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1195.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1195
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-11
last_action: Effective Date 2026-05-11
sponsors:
- Rob Leverett
- Karen Mathiak
- Joseph Gullett
- Beth Camp
- Sharon Cooper
- Kay Kirkpatrick
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1195/2025
upstream_id: 2108131
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- veterinary telemedicine
- animal care regulation
- veterinary licensing
- rural veterinary access
---
# HB 1195. Veterinarians; practice and provision of veterinary teletriage and veterinary telemedicine; revise provisions
## Text
House Bill 1195 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Leverett of the 123rd, Mathiak of the 82nd, Gullett of the 19th, Camp of
the 135th, and Cooper of the 45th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 7 of Chapter 50 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to telemedicine by veterinarians and veterinary technicians, so as to revise provisions
relating to veterinary telemedicine, teleadvice, and teletriage and the veterinary-client-patient
relationship; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 7 of Chapter 50 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
telemedicine by veterinarians and veterinary technicians, is amended in Code
Section 43-50-121, relating to practice of veterinary teletriage and veterinary telemedicine
regardless of whether a veterinarian-client-patient relationship exists, by revising
subsection (a) as follows:
"(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this chapter, a licensed veterinarian or a
veterinary technician supervised by a licensed veterinarian may practice veterinary
teletriage, regardless of whether a veterinarian-client-patient relationship exists, if the
following conditions are met:
(1) No licensed veterinarian or veterinary technician is available within a 50 mile radius
of the animal's location to perform a physical examination at a veterinary facility or the
premises where the animal is located within 24 hours of the client's request for services;
(2)(1) The licensed veterinarian or veterinary technician requests that, as soon as
reasonably practical, the client present the animal patient for a physical examination at
the veterinary facility or at the premises where such animal is located; and
(3)(2) The licensed veterinarian or veterinary technician informs the client, in writing,
of the veterinarian or supervising veterinarian's full name, location, license number,
licensure status, and limitations involved in accessing veterinary teletriage, and obtains
a signed and dated statement from the client indicating receipt of such required
information."
SECTION 2.
Said article is further amended by revising Code Section 43-50-122, relating to providing
veterinary teleadvice regardless of whether a veterinarian-client-patient relationship exists,
as follows:
"43-50-122.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to:
(1) Prohibit prohibit a licensed veterinarian or a veterinary technician supervised by a
licensed veterinarian from providing veterinary teleadvice, regardless of whether a
veterinary-client-patient relationship exists; or
(2) Require a valid veterinary-client-patient relationship in order to provide veterinary
teleadvice or veterinary teletriage."
SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 1195 removes the requirement that a licensed veterinarian first show no other vet is available nearby before offering remote 'teletriage' care, and clarifies that Georgia law does not require an in-person vet-client relationship for remote advice or triage.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law lets veterinarians and supervised veterinary technicians offer remote care, called veterinary teletriage, even without first meeting an animal in person, but only if certain conditions were met. One of those conditions required that no licensed veterinarian or technician be available within 50 miles who could do a physical exam within 24 hours of the client's request. This bill removes that availability condition entirely from O.C.G.A. § 43-50-121, leaving only two requirements: the vet must ask the client to bring the animal in for a physical exam as soon as practical, and the vet must tell the client in writing their name, location, license number, license status, and the limits of teletriage, with the client signing to confirm receipt.
The bill also rewrites O.C.G.A. § 43-50-122 to state explicitly that Georgia law does not require a formal veterinarian-client-patient relationship in order to provide either veterinary teleadvice or veterinary teletriage. The law takes effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law without his signature.
### What it does
- Removes the requirement that a vet or technician show no other licensed provider was available within 50 miles within 24 hours before offering veterinary teletriage.
- Keeps in place the requirement that the vet ask the client to bring the animal in for a physical exam as soon as reasonably practical.
- Keeps in place the requirement that the vet give the client written disclosure of name, location, license number, license status, and limitations, with a signed acknowledgment.
- Rewrites O.C.G.A. § 43-50-122 to explicitly state that no vet-client-patient relationship is required to provide either veterinary teleadvice or veterinary teletriage.
- Sets the effective date as the day the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law without his signature.
### Who it affects
Licensed veterinarians and the veterinary technicians they supervise, who provide remote animal care in Georgia, and pet owners and other animal clients who use remote veterinary services such as teletriage or teleadvice, especially in areas with limited access to in-person veterinary care.
### Why it matters
By dropping the 50-mile availability test, veterinarians could offer remote teletriage more broadly, including in areas that already have nearby vets, rather than only where no other provider is available. The clarified language also removes any doubt about whether an existing in-person relationship is required before giving remote advice.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 43-50-121(a) by deleting the former condition requiring that no vet or technician be available within a 50 mile radius within 24 hours of the client's request.
- Section 1 renumbers the remaining two conditions: requesting an in-person exam as soon as practical, and providing written disclosure with a signed client acknowledgment.
- Section 2 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 43-50-122 to state the law does not prohibit teleadvice regardless of a vet-client-patient relationship, and does not require such a relationship for teleadvice or teletriage.
- Section 3 sets the effective date as the date of the Governor's approval or the date the bill otherwise becomes law without approval.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Rob Leverett, Karen Mathiak, Joseph Gullett, Beth Camp, Sharon Cooper, Kay Kirkpatrick
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72844
> The history, votes, and amendments (977 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1195.md?full=1