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As Passed by the Senate
136th
General Assembly
Regular
Session
Sub. S. B. No. 60
2025-2026
Senators Wilkin, Huffman
Cosponsors: Senators Antonio,
Blackshear, Brenner, Chavez, Cirino, Craig, DeMora, Gavarone,
Hicks-Hudson, Ingram, Koehler, Landis, Liston, Manning, O'Brien,
Patton, Reineke, Reynolds, Roegner, Romanchuk, Smith, Timken,
Weinstein, Wilson
To
amend section 4741.04 and to enact section 4741.041 of the Revised
Code
to
establish requirements and procedures for veterinarian telehealth
visits.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section
1.
That
section 4741.04 be amended and section 4741.041 of the Revised Code
be enacted to read as follows:
Sec.
4741.04.
A
veterinary-client-patient relationship serves as the basis for
interaction between veterinarians, their clients, and their patients.
A veterinary-client-patient relationship exists when all of the
following conditions have been met:
(A)
A veterinarian assumes responsibility for making clinical judgments
regarding the health of a patient and the need for medical treatment,
medical services, or both for the patient, and the client has agreed
to follow the veterinarian's instructions regarding the patient.
(B)
The veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of the patient to initiate
at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition
of the patient. In order to demonstrate that the veterinarian has
sufficient knowledge, the veterinarian shall have seen the patient
recently and also shall be acquainted personally with the keeping and
care of the patient
either
by
examining
doing
any of the following:
(1)
Examining
the
patient
or
by making
in
person;
(2)
Examining the patient in real time via telehealth services in
accordance with section 4741.041 of the Revised Code;
(3)
Making
medically
appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the patient is
kept.
(C)
The veterinarian is readily available for a follow-up evaluation, or
has arranged for emergency coverage, in the event the patient suffers
adverse reactions to the treatment regimen or the treatment regimen
fails.
Sec.
4741.041.
(A)
As used in this section:
(1)
"Human food product" means livestock raised for human
consumption or livestock whose products are used for human
consumption.
(2)
"Livestock" means porcine animals, bovine animals, caprine
animals, ovine animals, and poultry.
(3)
"Tele-advice" means the provision of any health
information, opinion, or guidance by a veterinary professional that
is not intended to diagnose, treat, issue certificates of veterinary
inspection, or issue prognoses of the physical or behavioral illness
or injury of an animal or issue. A veterinarian-client-patient
relationship as required under section 4741.04 of the Revised Code is
not required to provide tele-advice.
(B)
A licensed veterinarian may conduct the practice of veterinary
medicine via telehealth services if all of the following apply:
(1)
The veterinarian obtains the informed consent from the client,
including an acknowledgement that the standards of care prescribed by
this chapter equally apply to in-person and telehealth visits. The
veterinarian shall maintain documentation of the consent for at least
three years after receiving the informed consent.
(2)
The veterinarian provides the client with the veterinarian's name and
contact information and secures an alternate means of contacting the
client if the telehealth visit is interrupted. Following the
telehealth visit, the veterinarian shall make available to the client
an electronic or written record of the visit. The electronic or
written record shall include the veterinarian's license number.
(3)
Before conducting an evaluation of a patient via a telehealth visit,
the veterinarian advises the client of all of the following:
(a)
The veterinarian may ultimately recommend an in-person visit with the
veterinarian or another licensed veterinarian;
(b)
The veterinarian is prohibited under federal law from prescribing
certain drugs or medications based only on a telehealth visit;
(c)
The appointment for a telehealth visit may be terminated at any time.
(C)
A licensed veterinarian may prescribe drugs or medications after
establishing a veterinary-client-patient relationship via telehealth
services, except that all of the following apply:
(1)
The veterinarian may issue an initial prescription for not more than
fourteen days. The veterinarian may issue one refill for not more
than fourteen days if the veterinarian sees the patient for another
telehealth visit. For additional refills, the patient shall visit the
veterinarian in person.
(2)
The veterinarian shall notify the client that certain prescription
drugs or medications may be available at a pharmacy and, if
requested, the veterinarian will submit a prescription to a pharmacy
of the client's choosing;
(3)
The veterinarian shall not order, prescribe, or make available a
controlled substance, as defined in section 3719.01 of the Revised
Code, unless the veterinarian has performed an in-person physical
examination of the patient.
(D)(1)
Except as provided in division (D)(2) of this section, a licensed
veterinarian whose client is engaged in the raising of livestock for
human food products may not use telehealth services for those
livestock unless the veterinarian has established a
veterinary-client-patient relationship in person with respect to
those livestock prior to the use of telehealth services.
(2)
A licensed veterinarian whose client is engaged in the raising of
livestock for human food products may conduct tele-advice services
for those livestock prior to the veterinarian establishing a
veterinary-client-patient relationship in person with the client.
(E)
Division (D) of this section applies to the extent permitted under
federal law.
(F)
Nothing in this section shall be construed to invalidate or overrule
the provisions of Chapter 956. of the Revised Code.
(G)
For purposes of this section, the practice of veterinary medicine
occurs in the state in which the patient is located.
Section
2.
That
existing section 4741.04 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.