SB 85 Alabama Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Veterinary medicine; veterinarian-client-patient relationship further specified; scope of practice inside and outside veterinarian-client-patient relationship further defined

SB 85 requires veterinarians in Alabama to establish a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) before prescribing or dispensing any medication. It mandates that this relationship must be renewed annually to remain valid and applies to all veterinarians at the same clinic location. The bill also sets time limits for prescription refills and clarifies definitions for terms like "client" and "patient." This directly affects pet owners seeking veterinary care and veterinarians who prescribe medications.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Apr 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Signed Apr 15, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed → Enrolled · 2 edits · Apr 15, 2026

MINOR

The bill was finalized and enrolled for signing, with minor formatting updates. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new definition for 'LIVESTOCK,' which now explicitly includes swine, poultry, llamas, alpacas, honeybees, rabbits, live fish, crawfish, and other herd animals. This expansion broadens the scope of the bill to ensure veterinary regulations apply to these specific animals, whereas previous versions did not list them.

Scope change

The scope of the bill was expanded to include a broader definition of 'livestock,' ensuring veterinary regulations cover swine, poultry, and other specific animals previously not explicitly listed.

DEFINITION

Added 'swine, egg- and meat-producing poultry, llamas, alpacas, honeybees, rabbits, live fish, crawfish, and other animals that are a part of a herd' to the definition of 'LIVESTOCK'.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill status from 'Engrossed' to 'Enrolled' and adjusted line numbers and formatting to reflect the final version ready for the Governor's signature.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 8, 2026

Lower · Passed

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1319

lower

Mar 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported Out of Committee Second House

lower

Feb 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Pending Committee Action in Second House (Agriculture and Forestry)

lower

Feb 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 620

upper

Feb 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

Stutts motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 619

upper

Feb 25, 2026

Introduced

Stutts 1st Amendment Offered

upper

Feb 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

Stutts motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 618

upper

Feb 25, 2026

Introduced

Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry 1st Substitute Offered (Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry)

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

upper

Jan 15, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Committee in House of Origin (Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry)

upper

Jan 15, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

upper

Jan 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Healthcare)

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors