Take Action! Urge Governor Gavin Newsom to sign AB 1399 into law
Update as of Oct. 10, 2023
We are pleased to share that AB1399 was signed into law by Governor Newsom over the weekend to expand access to veterinary telehealth in California! This is a tremendous win for both pet owners and animal shelters and will remove barriers to essential veterinary care for pets in under resourced and low attention areas. The new law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, and is an incredible step to address critical veterinary shortages and provide life changing access to care through telehealth. Click here for more information.
Expanded use of telehealth will help bridge gaps in veterinary care caused by current lack of access across the state
How you can help: Contact California Governor Gavin Newsom to sign AB 1399 into law before the deadline on Oct. 14, 2023. In the link, choose "An Active Bill" and then "AB 1399" in dropdown menus to send a supportive note. For more information about AB 1399, please click here.
What's happening: San Diego Humane Society is asking Californians to urge Governor Gavin Newsom to sign AB 1399, a lifesaving bill that will expand access to veterinary care by allowing for telehealth options, into law. Not sure what to say? You can scroll down for a sample message you can copy and customize!
San Diego Humane Society and the ASPCA are among the proud sponsors of AB 1399 because telehealth will allow more pet families and shelters to access the veterinary care they need.
Currently, by law, veterinarians can only give medical advice after seeing pets in person — and the wait times for those in-person appointments can be long, stressful and inconvenient. The situation is even more dire for shelter animals in low attention regions of California. For many shelters, the closest veterinarian is 50 or more miles away, making physical visits incredibly challenging.
AB 1399 will make it legal for veterinarians to provide medical care for pets virtually. If the bill is signed into law, pets will be able to receive care more quickly, and in situations where a physical visit is impossible.
Sample Message:
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Hello, my name is [Your Name Here]. I live in California and am requesting you sign AB 1399 into law. AB 1399 expands access to veterinary care across California by removing stringent barriers to veterinary telehealth and improving access for residents and their pets. It has the potential to make a life-changing difference for pets belonging to families in remote or underserved areas, those who are stressed by transportation and clinic environments, and those who belong to older Californians and owners with mobility issues. AB 1399 will help address the critical — and nationwide — veterinarian shortage and expand access to care for millions of people. Thank you for signing AB 1399 into law! Sincerely, |
To learn more about AB 1399, its background and the organizations that are in support of this bill, click here.
To read the bill language, click here.
Published: August 21, 2023
