Protect Mobile Veterinary Services and Public Health and Safety: Support the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act

by Barry Kellogg, VMD

May 15, 2013

Protecting mobile veterinary services, like this equine clinic in Oregon, is just one reason why it's important to support the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act.
Julie Austin

Mobile veterinary services and public health and safety may be at risk. And we need your help!

As you may know, the Drug Enforcement Administration is interpreting current Controlled Substances Act provisions to deem it illegal for veterinarians to transport controlled substances for use outside their registered locations.

This creates a critical problem for the many veterinarians who perform much-needed mobile veterinary services and house-calls including at-home euthanasia, mobile spay/neuter clinics, on-site care on rural ranches and other agricultural facilities, rescue and relocation of wild animals, disaster response, triage in cruelty cases, and disease control and abatement response.

Please join HSVMA in supporting S. 950, the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act, and H.R. 1528, the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2013. Both pieces of legislation would address this problem by amending the CSA to ensure that mobile veterinarians can offer proper and humane medical care to their animal patients while protecting the safety of the public and the country's food supply.

H.R. 1528 is co-authored by the two veterinarians serving in Congress, Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) and Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), and is supported by a broad coalition of more than 110 veterinary organizations, including HSVMA. Input from individual veterinary professionals will also be extremely helpful in ensuring passage of this important legislation. S. 950 is the companion to H.R. 1528, and was introduced to the Senate by US Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Angus King (I-Maine).

How You Can Help

Please contact your Congressperson today and urge support for this bill. Submitting a support letter via email or mail is best. Look up your representative's contact information»

For more information about this legislation:

• Read the complete text of S. 950 and H.R. 1528
• Read the HSVMA support letter
• Read the veterinary coalition support letter, coordinated by the American Veterinary Medical Association
• View the AVMA infographic, developed to help explain this issue to the public

Thank you in advance for supporting the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act – key federal legislation safeguarding mobile veterinary service providers and the health and safety of the animals and the people of the United States. Please contact us if you have any questions or if you would like more information.