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House Bill 2850 |
House Author: Kacal et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-21 |
Senate Sponsor: Springer |
House Bill 2850 amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to grant a certified veterinary assistant, licensed veterinary technician, or veterinarian immunity from civil liability for an act or omission that occurs in providing veterinary care or treatment to an injured animal in good faith and as a volunteer under certain circumstances involving a man‑made or natural disaster. The immunity does not apply to care or treatment provided for compensation beyond reimbursement for expenses or in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
The bill amends the Occupations Code to establish that a veterinarian's client or the owner of an animal treated by the veterinarian waives the privilege of client confidentiality with respect to information regarding the veterinarian's care and treatment of the animal that the client or owner publishes in a public forum if that information is false with respect to the veterinarian, any information shared by the veterinarian in response is limited to factual information that directly refutes the false information, and the veterinarian does not share any of a client's or owner's personally identifiable information other than the client's or owner's full name. The bill clarifies that a veterinarian's provision of information to another veterinarian or to an appropriate governmental entity regarding cruelty to an animal, an attack on an animal, or the prescribing, dispensing, or requesting of a controlled substance does not violate client confidentiality under the Veterinary Licensing Act.