Committee approves measures to ease licensure and allow donated veterinary drugs

The House Agriculture Committee on Thursday adopted amendments and sent House Bill 11‑98, a measure to improve access to veterinary care, to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation.

Sponsor Representative Brett McCormick described provisions that will make Colorado’s licensure‑by‑endorsement process clearer for veterinarians licensed in other states and relocate veterinary‑specific pharmacy language into the Veterinary Practice Act. "We want it to be easy to come to Colorado and get a license," McCormick said, noting the bill is intended to remove duplicative paperwork and make the pathway more evident to applicants.

The bill also authorizes a veterinary drug donation program. Witnesses from Humane Colorado, low‑cost veterinary clinics, and the Colorado Association of Certified Veterinary Technicians said donated, unused veterinary medications could be safely redistributed under the bill’s proposed safeguards to help families who cannot afford prescriptions. Heather Reeder, a veterinarian who works in low‑cost clinics and as a relief veterinarian, said the changes would meaningfully increase access to care and that an expedited endorsement program would make it easier for relief veterinarians to respond to demand across state lines.

DORA and the State Board of Veterinary Medicine worked with sponsors on amendments that moved veterinary pharmacy provisions into the Veterinary Practice Act and clarified compounded‑drug language and emergency sharing of stock between clinics. The committee adopted three sponsor/DORA amendments (L004, L005, L002), then voted to advance the bill. Committee members and witnesses noted the need for clear operational guidance and recommended that the department and board provide detailed instructions to practitioners to limit administrative burden and ensure safety.