Michigan legislators are still debating what rules should apply to the use of veterinary telemedicine, and we are still fighting for expanded access to veterinary care.
Rules promulgated by the Michigan Board of Veterinary Medicine currently require that a veterinarian see an animal patient for an in-person examination before treating that patient using telemedicine. This rule prohibits new or lapsed clients and their pets from receiving care via telemedicine.
In a past article, we shared the news that HB 4220 and HB 4221, bills that would allow a veterinarian to use his or her professional judgment to decide whether veterinary care could be effectively provided via telemedicine without a prior in-person examination of the animal patient, passed the House by a wide margin. In December 2025, those bills were referred to the Senate Regulatory Affairs committee, where they are awaiting a hearing.
Bills identical to HB 4220 and HB 4221 were introduced in the Senate as SB 193 and SB 194. Those bills were assigned to the Senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee. The committee heard the bills on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Dr. Crystal Sapp, Michigan Humane’s Vice President of Veterinary Medicine, gave compelling testimony in support of the bills.
Dr. Sapp described the education and training required to become a licensed veterinarian and stressed that veterinarians should be trusted to exercise the same professional judgment they use in treating patients in person to decide when to use telemedicine without requiring a prior in-person examination. She explained that telemedicine could help provide access to veterinary care when a client is unable to bring a pet to the clinic to assess the pet’s needs, answer questions a client might have about his or her pet, and provide discussion-based care in a safe, convenient, and cost-effective way.
The committee heard from Dr. Sapp and others supporting the bills that many Michiganders, both in cities like Detroit and in rural areas, do not have access to geographically convenient veterinary offices. Even if a veterinarian is geographically accessible, a lack of transportation, disability, cost of care, and the long wait for in-person appointments can create barriers to accessing veterinary care and pose risks to the health of companion animals. These barriers to accessing veterinary care disproportionately impact low-income families, which creates inequity in accessing veterinary services for their pets.
The bills’ supporters all acknowledged that telemedicine is not a substitute for in-person treatment, which is required for many types of care, such as administering vaccinations, performing surgery, and addressing complex medical issues. But the ability to use telemedicine as a first step in educating clients, assessing an animal’s needs, and developing a plan of care could be an invaluable tool in safely providing much-needed veterinary services in an accessible and affordable way.
Dr. Sapp emphasized the important role telemedicine could play in Michigan Humane’s efforts to keep pets with their families and explained that access to veterinary care is one of the most important services we can provide to enable people to keep their pets rather than relinquish them to already overburdened shelters.
Committee members asked questions about whether removing the current requirement for a prior in-person examination of the animal before telemedicine could be used would open the door for “bad actors” to irresponsibly prescribe harmful drugs. In her testimony, Dr. Sapp described the guardrails the bill places on telemedicine prescriptions. For example, federal rules requiring the establishment of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship with an in-person examination (such as when prescribing a drug for an extra-label use) continue to apply. A prescription may only be given for a 14-day supply of a drug with no refills. After another telemedicine appointment, an additional 14-day supply of a drug may be prescribed, but after that, an in-person appointment is required. Controlled substances cannot be prescribed via telemedicine without a prior in-person examination.
As is typically the case, the committee took testimony but did not vote on the bills. We are monitoring the bills’ progress and will continue to provide updates.
We are going to keep working to improve animal welfare and create a more humane community while serving as a voice for the animals through advocacy. Together, we can continue to make a difference in animals’ lives. If you know someone who you think would be interested in this information, please forward this to them and encourage them to sign up for our Legislative Action Network.