47-839. Confidentiality; exceptions; waiver. (a) Except as otherwise provided under K.S.A. 47-622 and 47-624, and amendments thereto, a veterinarian licensed under the Kansas veterinary practice act shall not disclose any information concerning the veterinarian's care of an animal except on written authorization or other waiver by the veterinarian's client or on appropriate court order or subpoena. Any veterinarian's releasing information under written authorization or other waiver by the client or under court order or subpoena shall not be liable to the client or any other person. The privilege provided by this section shall be waived to the extent that the veterinarian's client or the owner of the animal places the veterinarian's care and treatment of the animal or the nature and extent of injuries to the animal at issue in any civil or criminal proceeding. The privilege provided by this section shall also be waived in relation to any investigation by the board and any subsequent administrative disciplinary action brought by the board.
(b) This section shall be part of and supplemental to the Kansas veterinary practice act.
History: L. 1991, ch. 153, § 2; L. 1999, ch. 25, § 12; July 1.