H.B. 394 Veterinary Amendments

What this bill does

This bill changes the state law on the required veterinary internship that new veterinarians must complete. It replaces the current six-month internship requirement with a requirement of 1,000 hours of work, so the statute matches the existing rule.

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Every vote

• 12 yes, 0 no, 4 absentHouse Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee: vote to change the bill · Feb 24, 2026Who voted how
• 12 yes, 0 no, 4 absentHouse Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee: vote to approve it · Feb 24, 2026Who voted how
• 67 yes, 0 no, 8 absentFinal House vote · Feb 27, 2026Who voted how
• 4 yes, 0 no, 3 absentSenate Education Committee: vote to approve it · Mar 2, 2026Who voted how
• 4 yes, 0 no, 3 absentSenate Education Committee: Consent Calendar Recommendation · Mar 2, 2026Who voted how
• 24 yes, 0 no, 5 absentFinal Senate vote · Mar 6, 2026Who voted how

Hearings and debates

• Feb 24, 2026 House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (7 turns)

  1. Committee chair35:13

     HB 3 94. Uh oh. Before one thing, we, we've got a, a fairly full agenda here today. We're gonna, I'm gonna ask the public to be very concise in their comments and the committee also to be very concise in their comments. Um, say what you need to say, but let's, let's, nobody, honestly, nobody wants to hear your pontification on everything, so we're gonna keep going. So, um, we're, uh, so, uh, Representative Thurston, uh, I was talking more to the committee on that. We want to hear the public more than the committee, so, but Representative Thurston, go ahead. Oh, we'll, we'll turn your mic on. There you go. Helpful.

  2. Rep. Norman K Thurston35:47

     Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, uh, I'll be speaking to House Bill 3 94. The first sub, the first sub does one thing. It changes the term six months to 1000 hours, which is something we need to do for technical release reasons related to rules. Okay. Thank you.

  3. Committee chair36:07

     Oh, so that, that concludes your presentation. I don't wanna pontificate. Oh, you're awesome representative. All right. Well, we'll go to the committee for clarifying questions. Seeing none, we'll take it to the public for comment. Is there anybody in the public that would like to speak to this? Is there anybody online? Okay. Uh, we'll take you to the committee for action.

  4. Rep. Norman K Thurston36:31

     Mr. Mr. Chair? Yes. Oh, I move that we adopt first substitute house bill 3 94.

  5. Committee chair36:37

     All right. That is an order. Uh, uh, all in, uh, yeah. Any discussion to the motion? All right. Uh, all Would you like to sum? Nope. Okay. Uh, all in favor say aye. A Aye. Aye. Alright. That passes. Uh, end those against. All right. That passes unanimously. Thank you. We, I need another motion to favorably recommend Matthew. Oh, that was the, yeah, you're right. All right, we're gonna go. Representative Matthews. Oh,

  6. Rep. Ashlee Matthews37:06

     Thank you. Mr. Chairman. Make a motion to favorably recommend All that. Would like to speak to that?

  7. Committee chair37:14

     Nope. All right. We'll take to the committee for discussion and to, uh, the sponsor. I Will not pontificate. All right. And to the, make it of the motion to sum. All right. We'll take that as a wave. All right. The, the motion is that we pass with a favorable recommendation, HB 3 94. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. And those against. All right. That passes unanimously. Thank you, representative. We're gonna go

• Feb 27, 2026 House floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (4 turns)

  1. Floor clerk26:30

     for its consideration matter. Meeting clerk First substitute House Bill 3 94 Veterinary Amendments by Representative Thurston. This bill was served in business and labor with a vote of 12 0 4.

  2. Speaker (presiding)26:42

     Representative Thurston.

  3. Rep. Norman K Thurston26:44

     Thank you Mr. Speaker. For those of you that didn't have time to read this bill, I wanna just give you a moment. Okay, that's enough. So this bill, simply for, for students who have completed their veterinary training, they have to do an internship before they can get a license. The statute currently describes that internship as a six month internship, and we're simply changing that to 1000 hours. That makes it consistent with the current doppel practice and general understanding of what that internship actually is. With that, I would conclude my presentation. Mr. Speaker,

  4. Speaker (presiding)27:23

     Thank you. Representative discussion to the bill None backdraft, Sam Thurston for summation, I'll waive summation has been waived, will now be open and for substitute. HB three. Seeing all present, having voted voting is now closed. First substitute HB 3 94 passes this body with 67 yes votes zero, no votes will be sent to the Senate for its consideration. Go Madam Reading Clerk

• Mar 2, 2026 Senate Education Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (15 turns)

  1. Committee chair1:40:36

     is HB 3 94. First substitute, uh, Representative Thurston.

  2. Rep. Norman K. Thurston1:40:43

     Again, wait minute. Veterinary amendments. Okay, that's kind of an interesting one for our, our committee. It is, it has to do with a veterinary training. So when a veterinarian completes their schooling, they have to do a six month internship, doppel, uh, in, in current code. And so Doppel had to decide how to incorporate that. And of course, they don't know how six months of work. What does that mean? Does that mean part-time, full-time, weekends, weekdays? What does that mean? If you're a doctor? Six months internship means something different. So they, doppel has incorporated a 1000 hour rule, which means statute and rule are inconsistent. And as I reviewed that with the veterinarians, a thousand hours just as a much more logical way of describing this in six months. So we would just propose that we change the statute to match the rule. Usually I would do it the other way around, change the rule to match the statute. But in this case, I think the veterinarians are right. So that's all we do is we just change that internship to be 1000 hours. Does that conclude your presentation? It does.

  3. Committee chair1:41:40

     We're gonna come back to the committee for clarifying questions. Seeing none will go to members of the audience. Anyone want to speak to this bill? Okay. Seeing none, we'll come back to the committee. Senator Riebe, go ahead.

  4. Sen. Kathleen A. Riebe1:41:55

     Thank you. I'd like to send hba 3 94 veterinary amendments out with a favorable recommendation. I love when people listen to the people in the field and follow their advice. It's like music to my ears as a teacher. So thank you. Thank You, thank you. So, uh, the motion is to send out, uh, first substitute HB 3 94 with a favorable recommendation, uh, discussion of the motion.

  5. Committee chair1:42:22

     Seeing none, I'm gonna come to you to some

  6. Unknown speaker1:42:24speaker not certain

     Thank you that this is just really just a technical correction.

  7. Sen. Kathleen A. Riebe1:42:26

     And, um, if it is unanimous, I would like to request that this be placed on consent.

  8. Unknown speaker1:42:31speaker not certain

     You don't want to put it on consent because House Will be fine. Oh, you house bill? Actually, you probably could. I probably could. Yeah. Okay.

  9. Committee chair1:42:42

     Uh, does someone wanna make that motion? Senator Baldry?

  10. Unknown speaker1:42:47speaker not certain

      We need to, we need to Oh, pass that. Oh, yes.

  11. Committee chair1:42:54

      So, uh, first substitute, uh, HB 3 94. Uh, the motion is to send it out with favorable recommendation. Uh, all in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Chair rules that as unanimous. And now Senator Hinkins to the other motion.

  12. Sen. David P. Hinkins1:43:10

      Thank you. Uh, Mr. Chairman, since there is no opposition to this bill, I would ask that we put it on consent.

  13. Committee chair1:43:16

      Okay. So, uh, the motion is to place, uh, first substitute HB 3 94 on consent calendar. Uh, any discussion to that motion? Seeing none, uh, I'll place the motion. Motion is to place this, the HB 3 94 for substitute on the consent calendar. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Chair rules?

  14. Unknown speaker1:43:42speaker not certain

      That is unanimous. Thank you. Thank You Mr. Chair Committee.

  15. Committee chair1:43:45speaker not certain

      Okay, we're now, uh,

• Mar 6, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (7 turns)

  1. Sen. Michael K. McKell48:29

     Um, I move that this bill pass.

  2. President J. Stuart Adams (presiding)48:32

     Thank you. And the question is, shall first substitute House Bill three ninety four pass Roll call vote.

  3. Senate clerk (roll call)48:36

     Senator Vickers Baldy Lewin b Brammer Bus Colmore Escamia Fillmore Bus Aye. Grover Aye. Harper Kins Ipson Johnson Quan McKay. A Milner Musselman Musselman Owens pitcher Plum Rebe Sandal Stevenson Stratton ERs Weiler Wilson Winterton. President Adams

  4. President J. Stuart Adams (presiding)49:35

     Aye. First substitute house Bill 3 94. Having received 24 a votes, zero nay votes, five being absent passes his body and will be returned to the house, will be signed by the present. Return to the house for the signature of the speaker.

  5. President J. Stuart Adams (presiding)49:56speaker not certain

     Second substitute house Bill 15 Second substitute house bill 15 Medicaid amendments. Senator Grover. Senator Wilson. Motion to circle sponsors off The floor. Motion to circle. All in favor say Aye. Aye. And the opposed or the motion passes. The bill is circled.

  6. President J. Stuart Adams (presiding)50:15

     House bill 4 54 House bill 4 54, public assistance fraud amendments. Senator Brammer. Senator Brammer.

  7. Sen. Brady Brammer50:27

     Yeah. Thank you. So what this does is it amends certain criminal provisions