S 6821: Authorizes veterinarians to provide free veterinary care services to individuals in shelters as self-instructional coursework to receive credit for their continuing education requirement.
The proposed legislation aims to provide veterans with the opportunity to receive mandatory continuing education credit while also offering free veterinary care services to individuals in shelters. Veterans can use their continuing education credits to provide free veterinary care services to individuals receiving temporary housing assistance, including those in family shelters, domestic violence shelters, and other forms of temporary housing. The services must be provided in facilities that are appropriately equipped and staffed to meet the needs of the individuals receiving assistance. The state may offset the continuing education credits at a rate of one-half of one hour for each hour of free veterinary care services provided. The proposed legislation is set to take effect on the 90th day after it becomes a law.
- What is the current status of S 6821?
- As of January 10, 2026, S 6821 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on January 7, 2026, was "REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION".
- Did S 6821 pass?
- Not yet. S 6821 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote S 6821, and where is it now?
- S 6821 was authored by Sen. Michael Gianaris. Its committee of record is Senate Higher Education.
| Jan. 07, 2026 | REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION |
| Mar. 25, 2025 | REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6821 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 25, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. GIANARIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing veterina- rians to provide free veterinary care services to individuals in shel- ters to receive mandatory continuing education credit The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 6704-a of the 2 education law is amended by adding a new subparagraph (iii) to read as 3 follows: 4 (iii) Self-instructional coursework may include the provision of free 5 veterinary care services to individuals receiving temporary housing 6 assistance, which shall include but not be limited to, a family shelter, 7 a shelter for adults, a hotel providing temporary emergency shelter, an 8 emergency apartment, a domestic violence shelter, a runaway and homeless 9 youth shelter, or a safe house for refugees, provided that such services 10 be administered at practices, facilities and properties that are appro- 11 priately equipped and staffed to provide such services. The department 12 may offset up to three hours of the requisite number of hours of contin- 13 uing education required pursuant to this paragraph, at a rate of one- 14 half of one hour of continuing education for each hour of free veteri- 15 nary care services. 16 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 17 have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00740-01-5