Veterinary Mobility Act Passed By Senate, Ready for President’s Signature
On Wednesday, July 16, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Veterinary Mobility Act — about a week after the House of Representatives unanimously approved it as well. The bill will now head to President Obama’s desk, at which point he will likely sign it into law.
So what does this mean for the thousands of veterinary professionals who work across the country?
According to a WNAX article, the bill will allow veterinarians to bring controlled substances out of their registered places of business to treat sick or dying animals without being subject to arrest. The bill also lets licensed veterinarians register in multiple states regardless of their residence or the location of their practice, Feedstuffs.com reports.
The act will be especially beneficial to veterinarians who work with horses and other large animals, as asking a rancher to transport livestock to a clinic themselves is often burdensome.
“Simply, this is a victory for all animal hospitals in general, one of the many roles of veterinarians is to end suffering of animals,” says Larry Rebbecchi of Philadelphia Animal Hospital. “In all cases, the drugs required for euthanasia are controlled and veterinarians have been limited in performing this task at peoples homes. Once signed, in home and on farm euthanasia will be legal.”
According to Feedstuffs.com, the bill was originally introduced by Rep. Kurt Schrader (D., Ore.) and Rep. Ted Yoho (R., Fla.), who are both veterinarians themselves.
“Today is a victory for veterinarians across this country, but more importantly, it’s a victory for the health and well-being of the animals they are entrusted to care for,” Schrader said in an American Veterinary Medical Association release. “Ridiculous bureaucratic interference from the DEA would have seriously impeded veterinarians’ ability to properly treat their patients. The Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act will provide veterinarians with the certainty they need to continue providing mobile or ambulatory services for their animal patients.”
