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House Bill 1767 |
House Author: Cook, Robby |
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Effective: 9-1-05 |
Senate Sponsor: Armbrister |
House Bill 1767 amends the Occupations Code to make changes to the Veterinary Licensing Act. The bill prohibits the practice of veterinary medicine unless a veterinarian-client-patient relationship exists and provides that such a relationship may not be established solely by telephone or electronic means. However, it allows a veterinarian, without establishing a relationship, to dispense a drug other than a controlled substance if another veterinarian has prescribed the drug and informed the dispenser that it is appropriate and necessary and certain other conditions are met. The bill provides that a veterinarian who in good faith and in the normal course of business reports to authorities a suspected incident of animal cruelty has immunity from civil and criminal liability with respect to that reporting. It provides also that a veterinarian does not violate confidentiality restrictions by supplying a client's name to specified authorities who are obtaining information for rabies vaccination verification or other treatment involving a life-threatening situation. The bill reduces the period after notification during which a client may retrieve an animal left with a veterinarian before it is considered abandoned. For the offense of practicing veterinary medicine without a license, the bill establishes Travis County or the county where the offense occurred as the venue for prosecution.