2026 SESSION

HOUSE SUBSTITUTE

26105609D

HOUSE BILL NO. 1287

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the House Committee on Health and Human Services

on February 3, 2026)

(Patron Prior to Substitute—Delegate Cohen)

A BILL 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.