What NYC's Proposed Vet Price-Disclosure Bill Would Mean
New York City Council members have introduced a local law that would require veterinary clinics to be clearer about what care costs. It has not passed. As of November 10, 2026, Intro 1098-2026 is still in committee. The text can change, or the bill may not become law at all.
This explainer walks through what the official bill text says (not what might happen later) and what pet parents can already do today: ask for a written estimate, request an itemized receipt, and compare available cost information before they book non-emergency care. This is not legal advice, and it is not a prediction that the bill will pass. FareVet’s focus is cost clarity, not pushing the cheapest clinic.
Has Intro 1098-2026 Passed?
No. The New York City Council’s official Legistar record lists Int. 1098-2026, officially titled “A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to price disclosures by veterinary care facilities and publication of veterinary care facility price information.”
According to that record, it was introduced and placed on the agenda on September 24, 2026, with Council Member Carl Wilson as prime sponsor (10 Council Member sponsors in total). It was referred the same day to the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection. Its status is Committee. There is no enactment date and no law number.
If it later became law in its current form, the text says the local law would take effect 120 days after it becomes law. That countdown has not started.
What the Bill Would Require
The provisions below are from the current official text (Int. No. 1098, version `*`). They would apply to a “veterinary care facility,” meaning any establishment that offers veterinary medicine services, as defined in New York Education Law section 6701, to consumers for a fee.
Topic | What the current text says |
|---|---|
Posted prices or ranges | A facility would have to maintain a list of standard charges for veterinary services and other routinely imposed charges, displayed conspicuously at the “point of purchase,” or otherwise provided as the commissioner prescribes. The list would include the standard charge for each service routinely offered, or an estimated price range; any exam, consultation, facility, or other routinely imposed fee that is standard across consumers; and circumstances that may cause the amount charged to differ. |
Variable charges | If a charge varies based on a factor the facility can reasonably foresee before the service is purchased, the facility would have to disclose that factor at the point of purchase, plus the applicable charge or price range. |
Written or electronic estimates | Before a consumer authorizes a purchase or transaction that may result in charges exceeding $500, the facility would, upon request and to the extent reasonably practicable, provide a written or electronic estimate identifying the services or categories proposed, the estimated charge or price range, any additional charges that may reasonably be incurred, and the estimated total. |
Itemized receipts | After a transaction, an establishment providing veterinary services would have to provide an itemized receipt upon request. |
Advertised prices | A facility that advertises a service at a stated price would have to disclose any material condition needed to get that price. It could still advertise a price range or state that the final charge depends on circumstances that cannot reasonably be determined beforehand. |
Citywide averages | The commissioner, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), per the Council’s official summary, would have to maintain a public website with aggregated information on charges for common veterinary procedures, publish at least the average charge where the department has enough data to calculate or estimate a statistically significant average, and update that information at least once quarterly. Published information shall not contain the names of veterinary care facilities. |
Civil penalties (if enacted) | The text sets a civil penalty of not more than $500 for a first violation and each additional violation occurring on the same day as the first, and not less than $500 nor more than $1,500 for each subsequent violation. |
Effective date (if enacted) | 120 days after it becomes law. It is not in effect today. |
What the bill says it would not do | The text says it shall not be construed to regulate the practice of veterinary medicine, or to require a facility to recommend, provide, withhold, modify, or discontinue any treatment. An estimate may state that the final amount may differ if additional services, supplies, medications, testing, or other items are later purchased. |
Two details are easy to miss. The proposed $500 written-estimate rule is not automatic: it would apply when the consumer requests an estimate, and only to the extent reasonably practicable. And the proposed city website would show aggregated averages, not a directory of named clinics and their prices. Even if this bill became law, you would still need to ask a specific hospital what *your* estimate includes.
Looking for Cost Context in New York City Today?
You do not have to wait for a law to ask what care may cost. Use FareVet to research available veterinary cost information in your area before you book non-emergency care.
What You Can Do Today, Without a Law
Many of the habits this bill is aiming at are already available to pet parents. You can ask for them now, in New York City or anywhere else.
Ask for a written estimate before you approve care
If a visit or procedure may be expensive, ask for the estimate in writing (on paper or by email) before you authorize it. A useful estimate lists major line items and says what is included. FareVet’s guide on why estimates have a low and a high price can help you read a range when one appears.
Request an itemized receipt
After the visit, ask for an itemized bill. Line items make it easier to see what you paid for, compare a final invoice with the estimate, and share records if you get a second opinion or file an insurance claim.
Compare before you book when it is not an emergency
For planned care (a dental cleaning, a non-urgent workup, or surgery that can wait), take time to research local cost context. FareVet has NYC-specific guides, including how much a vet visit costs in NYC and NYC pet parents: know what vet care costs before you book. Comparing inclusions matters more than chasing the lowest headline number.
In an emergency, prioritize timely, safe care
Price comparison is a planning tool. If your pet needs emergency care now, the right hospital is the one that can treat them promptly and safely. You can still ask for an estimate when time allows and review an itemized invoice afterward.
Already Have a Written Estimate?
Compare line items and inclusions, not only the total. Then use FareVet for local cost context before you decide.
Optional Context: Why Price Clarity Is Getting More Attention
Separately from this New York City bill, two recent developments help explain why pet parents are asking about costs sooner.
In the United Kingdom, the Competition and Markets Authority has already made a legally binding Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026, published on gov.uk on September 22, 2026. The deadlines are staggered, not a single 2027 switch. Official CMA guidance says large veterinary businesses (15 or more practices) must publish a price list from the next working day after 22 December 2026; small businesses (14 or fewer) after 22 March 2027. Written estimates and itemised bills follow in June 2027 for large businesses and September 2027 for small businesses. Those UK rules do not apply to NYC clinics.
In the United States, Zoetis CEO Kristin Peck said on the company’s post-earnings call, as reported by Reuters on November 5, 2026, that cost pressure is making pet owners “more value conscious,” and that U.S. veterinary clinic visits were down 3% in the first nine months of 2026. That is a national company comment, not a finding about this bill.
FAQ: NYC Intro 1098-2026
Is this bill the law in New York City right now?
No. As of November 10, 2026, Int. 1098-2026 is still in the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection. It has no enactment date.
Would every clinic have to post exact prices?
The current text requires a list of standard charges or an estimated price range for each service routinely offered, plus routinely imposed fees and circumstances that may cause the amount to differ. It would not freeze every invoice at a single posted number.
Would I automatically get a written estimate if the bill might go over $500?
Not under the current wording. The facility would have to provide a written or electronic estimate upon request, and only to the extent reasonably practicable, before you authorize a purchase that may result in charges exceeding $500. You can already make that request today.
Would the city publish each clinic’s prices?
No. The current text says the DCWP website would show aggregated average charges for common procedures, updated at least quarterly, and would not name veterinary care facilities.
When would the rules start if the bill passed?
If the current text became law, it would take effect 120 days after it became law. That has not happened.
Does this change what veterinary care my pet should get?
The bill text says it shall not be construed to regulate the practice of veterinary medicine or to require a facility to change any treatment. Medical decisions still belong in a conversation with a licensed veterinarian.
You Can Ask for Clarity Before Any Law Passes
Intro 1098-2026 would, if enacted in its current form, require NYC veterinary facilities to post standard charges or ranges, give written estimates on request when a bill may exceed $500, provide itemized receipts on request, and have DCWP publish quarterly, unnamed citywide averages. It is still only a proposal. You do not need to wait to ask for a written estimate, an itemized receipt, or local cost context.
Use FareVet to research available veterinary cost information near you before you book non-emergency care.
This guide is for planning and price transparency only. It is not veterinary medical advice and is not legal advice. Always discuss your pet’s individual medical needs with a licensed veterinarian. For the current status and official text of Intro 1098-2026, see the New York City Council’s Legistar page.
Sources
The New York City Council. “File #: Int 1098-2026. Price disclosures by veterinary care facilities and publication of veterinary care facility price information.” Official legislation details and Int. No. 1098 text. Status: Committee (as of November 10, 2026, America/Toronto). https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?GUID=D390B6A9-4D1E-4B05-9EC0-0680DBB3A67D&ID=8237428
Competition and Markets Authority. “Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026 and Veterinary Services Market Investigation Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Undertakings 2026.” Published September 22, 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterinary-services-market-investigation-order-2026-and-veterinary-services-market-investigation-royal-college-of-veterinary-surgeons-undertakings-202
Competition and Markets Authority. “Large veterinary businesses: complying with the CMA's Order.” Published October 13, 2026; last updated October 15, 2026. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/large-veterinary-businesses-complying-with-the-cmas-order
Competition and Markets Authority. “Small veterinary businesses: complying with the CMA's Order.” https://www.gov.uk/guidance/small-veterinary-businesses-complying-with-the-cmas-order
Sahil Pandey. “Zoetis plans cautiously for 2027 as pet owners cut back on vet visits, shares fall.” Reuters, via Yahoo Finance. November 5, 2026. https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/zoetis-plans-cautiously-2027-pet-185524654.html
FareVet. “How Much Does a Vet Visit Cost in NYC in 2026?” https://www.farevet.com/post/how-much-does-a-vet-visit-cost-in-nyc-in-2026
FareVet. “NYC pet parents: know what vet care costs before you book.” https://www.farevet.com/post/nyc-pet-parents-know-what-vet-care-costs-before-you-book
FareVet. “Why Your Vet Estimate Has a Low and High Price.” https://www.farevet.com/post/why-your-vet-estimate-has-a-low-and-high-price
FareVet. “How to Compare Vet Prices Before Booking an Appointment.” https://www.farevet.com/post/how-to-compare-vet-prices-before-booking-an-appointment
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