HB1287 • 2026

Veterinarians; amending applications of licensure, etc.

An Act to direct the Board of Veterinary Medicine to amend its licensure application for veterinarians to include an option for veterinarians to indicate interest in serving as a veterinarian for animal shelters and to maintain a list of veterinarians who indicate such interest.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Cohen
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not specify how often or exactly when the Board of Veterinary Medicine must provide the list to the State Veterinarian, only that it should be quarterly.

Veterinarians Helping Animal Shelters

This act requires the Board of Veterinary Medicine to add a section on their application forms where veterinarians can say they want to help animal shelters, and it asks the board to share this information with the State Veterinarian.

What This Bill Does

Adds an option for veterinarians to show interest in serving as a veterinarian for public or private animal shelters when applying for or renewing their license.
Requires the Board of Veterinary Medicine to provide the names and contact details of interested veterinarians to the State Veterinarian on a quarterly basis.

Who It Names or Affects

Veterinarians applying for or renewing their license in Virginia
The Board of Veterinary Medicine and the State Veterinarian

Terms To Know

Board of Veterinary Medicine: A group that oversees veterinarians to make sure they follow rules and standards.
State Veterinarian: An official who works for the state government to help protect animal health and welfare.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how many veterinarians might be interested in helping shelters.
It is unclear if all animal shelters will use this list of veterinarians.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 768 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0768)
2026-03-25 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026
2026-03-25 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-17 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1287)
2026-03-14 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-14 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-14 House
Enrolled
2026-03-14 House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1287ER)
2026-03-09 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-09 Senate
Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-06 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-03-06 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-03-06 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-06 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-03-05 Education and Health
Reported from Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)
2026-02-27 Health Professions
Assigned Education sub: Health Professions
2026-02-24 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Rereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources to Education and Health (14-Y 0-N)
2026-02-11 Health and Human Services
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1287)
2026-02-10 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-10 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
2026-02-09 House
Read third time and passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-06 House
Read second time
2026-02-06 House
committee substitute agreed to
2026-02-06 House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
2026-02-05 House
Read first time
2026-02-03 Health and Human Services
Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute (22-Y 0-N)
2026-02-03 Health and Human Services
Committee substitute printed 26105609D-H1
2026-01-29 Health Professions
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N)
2026-01-28 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1287)
2026-01-28 Health Professions
House subcommittee offered
2026-01-23 Health Professions
Assigned sub: Health Professions
2026-01-14 House
Presented and ordered printed 26101713D
2026-01-14 Health and Human Services
Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services

Official Summary Text

Board of Veterinary Medicine; applications for licensure or renewal; indication of interest to serve as a veterinarian for a public or private animal shelter.
Directs the Board of Veterinary Medicine to amend its applications for licensure and renewal of licensure to allow applicants to indicate interest in serving as a veterinarian for public or private animal shelters and to provide disclosure that, if the applicant indicates such interest, the Board shall provide the applicant's name and contact information to the State Veterinarian for inclusion on a list distributed to animal shelters quarterly.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to direct the Board of Veterinary Medicine to amend its licensure application for veterinarians to include an option for veterinarians to indicate interest in serving as a veterinarian for animal shelters and to maintain a list of veterinarians who indicate such interest.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. The Board of Veterinary Medicine (the Board) shall amend its applications for licensure and renewal of licensure as a veterinarian to include a method for applicants to indicate that they are interested in serving as a veterinarian for a private animal shelter or public animal shelter, as those terms are defined in §
3.2-6500
of the Code of Virginia. Such method shall include disclosure that, if an applicant indicates that they are interested in serving as a veterinarian for an animal shelter, the Board shall provide their name and contact information to the State Veterinarian on a quarterly basis for distribution to shelters. The Board shall quarterly provide a list of the names and contact information of veterinarians who have indicated interest in serving as a veterinarian for an animal shelter to the State Veterinarian for distribution to animal shelters. Such list shall include only veterinarians who maintain an active license.