HB1195: HB1195 Veterinarians; practice and provision of veterinary teletriage and veterinary telemedicine; revise provisions

Georgia law already allows licensed veterinarians and supervised veterinary technicians to practice veterinary teletriage (initial remote assessment of an animal's condition) even without an existing veterinarian-client-patient relationship, as long as certain conditions are met. This bill removes one of those conditions: previously, teletriage without an established relationship was only allowed if no vet or technician was available within 50 miles of the animal within 24 hours. That availability requirement is deleted. The remaining conditions stay in place: the vet or technician must ask the client to bring the animal in for a physical exam as soon as reasonably practical, and must give the client written information about the vet's identity, license, and the limits of teletriage, with a signed acknowledgment. The bill also rewrites the teleadvice section (O.C.G.A. § 43-50-122) to state plainly that no veterinarian-client-patient relationship is required to provide either teleadvice or teletriage. The law takes effect as soon as the Governor signs it.

• Removes the requirement that a vet or technician could only offer teletriage without an existing client relationship if no other vet was available within 50 miles within 24 hours.
• Keeps the requirement that the vet or technician ask the client to bring the animal in for a physical exam as soon as reasonably practical.
• Keeps the requirement to give clients written disclosure of the vet's name, location, license number, and limitations of teletriage, with a signed receipt.
• Rewrites O.C.G.A. § 43-50-122 to clarify that neither veterinary teleadvice nor veterinary teletriage requires an existing veterinarian-client-patient relationship.
• Sets the law to take effect immediately upon the Governor's signature or upon becoming law without signature.

Licensed veterinarians and the veterinary technicians they supervise, who provide remote teletriage and teleadvice services, and pet owners or other animal owners in Georgia who use these remote consultation services, especially in areas with limited access to in-person veterinary care.

By dropping the 50-mile, 24-hour availability test, veterinarians could offer remote teletriage more broadly rather than only when no other vet is reachable nearby, potentially giving animal owners faster access to initial guidance regardless of local veterinary availability.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 43-50-121(a) to delete the former condition (1) requiring that no vet or technician be available within 50 miles within 24 hours before teletriage could be offered without a client relationship.
• 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 clearly that the law does not prohibit teleadvice without a client relationship and does not require such a relationship for teleadvice or teletriage.
• Section 3 makes the Act effective immediately upon the Governor's approval or upon becoming law without approval.
• Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 449
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-19Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-19Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2026-03-16Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
8. 2026-03-12Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)

• Rob Leverett (R, HD-123)Primary sponsor
• Karen Mathiak (R, HD-082)
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)
• Beth Camp (R, HD-135)
• Sharon Cooper (R, HD-045)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 3, 2026

   172 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 2 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #585

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 19, 2026

   47 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 5 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #754

• veterinary telemedicine
• animal care
• professional licensing
• rural veterinary access