HB2517 Bill Summary

• Extends the repeal date of the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004 from January 1, 2014 to January 1, 2024, removing it from the initial sunset provision in the Regulatory Sunset Act.

• Adds "address of record" definition requiring applicants and licensees to maintain current address information with the Department through its website or direct contact.

• Creates emergency medication dispensing authority allowing veterinarians to provide up to 5 days of non-controlled substances or 3 days of controlled substances without a veterinarian-client-patient relationship when the original prescriber is unavailable, with maximum of 5 days medication per patient per year.

• Increases maximum civil and disciplinary fines from $1,000 to $10,000 per violation and expands grounds for discipline to include malpractice (previously "gross malpractice") and mental illness/disability affecting practice.

• Establishes comprehensive examination and evaluation procedures allowing the Department to compel mental or physical evaluations at Department expense and removes confidentiality protections for examination communications in disciplinary proceedings.