Dear Members,

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture has proposed updates to the Veterinary Medicine Rules (17 CAR Pt. 1). In response, the Association appointed a task force to review the proposed updates to the rules. Below are the Top 5 critical issues the committee identified as well as a few more for consideration. 

We are making serious progress legislatively but we need your help! The Department of Agriculture needs to see proof that the vets of Arkansas are engaged, cohesive, and working together towards the reinstatement of our autonomy. 

We encourage you to review these issues and respond with your own public comments to assist the association in generating 200 comments prior to the September 15, 2026, deadline.

We ask that you please submit comments focusing on a select few from the list below using your own (kind, polite) words. Also feel free to leave positive comments on proposed changes that you like, but most importantly, please request active enforcement of all current rules. 

Thank you!
Rob Conner, DVM

Top 5 Critical Issues

1.  Notarization  (1-110 a1)
Proposed Rule: Requires all complaints to be written, signed, and notarized before any action can be initiated.

• Requested Action: Establish a two-pathway enforcement system:
  1. Formal Complaints Against Licensees: Maintain a formal notarized process for administrative actions involving licensed veterinarians.
  2. Unlicensed Practice & Tips: Remove the notarization requirement for initial tips, anonymous disclosures, and whistleblower reports involving non-licensed individuals practicing veterinary medicine without a license (e.g., social media "Facebook doctors"). Allow the Veterinary Medical Examining Committee/Department staff to issue immediate administrative cease-and-desist letters based on verified initial reports

2. Corporate Practice (1-108 3A)
Proposed Rule: Reaffirms that "only a veterinarian can own, direct, manage, or control a veterinary practice."

• Requested Action: Require all corporate practice entities operating in Arkansas to submit complete ownership documentation and governance agreements prior to issuing or renewing practice registrations. Close loopholes that allow non-DVMs to exercise operational or clinical control over veterinary practices.

3.  Emergency Scope (1-114 16 & 1-119 b1)
Proposed Rule: Expands off-premise authority for veterinary technicians during emergency calls.

• Requested Action: Explicitly restrict off-premise technician activities to immediate, life-saving emergency procedures when a veterinarian cannot be present promptly (e.g., field calf delivery, trauma stabilization). Mandate a post-emergency veterinary evaluation window (e.g., within 7 days for small animals and 21 days for large animals), and require Collaborative Practice Agreements to be submitted to the Veterinary Medical Examining Committee for active review and approval.

4. Telemedicine, VCPR, & Licensing  (1-101 5, 1-113 Bi, 1-117, 1-118a)

• Requested Action: Require that any practitioner providing telemedicine or holding an active Arkansas veterinary license be a legal U.S. resident or hold an active license tied directly to the physical address/location of their DEA registration to ensure enforceable regulatory oversight. Maintain strict alignment with DEA regulations requiring an in-person physical exam to establish a valid VCPR prior to prescribing controlled substances.

5. Equine Teeth Floating Nomenclature & Scope (Rule 101 3 & 1-120)

• Requested Action: Require rule language to strictly define non-DVM lay technicians as "teeth floaters" or "technicians"—never as "practitioners" or "dentists"—to prevent public confusion regarding veterinary medical credentials. Replace vague "livestock" terms with "bovine" where bovine-specific embryo transfer or course requirements are intended.

Additional Issues for Consideration/Comment

How to Submit Comments 

Please submit your written comments directly to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture before the public comment deadline of September 15, 2026.

• Email Comments To: rule.comments@arkansas.gov 

• Mail Comments To: Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Attn: Matthew M. Ford, 1 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205

When submitting, please identify which rule(s) you seek to provide comments. Oral and written comments received during the public comment period will be made part of the record.