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Recent state law changes that affect the practice of veterinary medicine

Has your state passed new laws affecting how you practice veterinary medicine (or are they in the works)? How would you even know? Read on for a sampling of the latest changes and ways to stay (or get) involved.

Published Sep 4, 2024

By Emily Singler

When comparing the laws that govern the practice of veterinary medicine, there can be some significant differences from state to state. Whether it’s the permissibility of telemedicine, the licensure of veterinary technicians, or the continuing education required of licensees, it can be dizzying to keep track of the changes in each state and understand why laws differ so much from state to state.

Beth Venit, VMD, MPH, DACVPM, chief veterinary officer for the American Association of Veterinary State Boards, gave some insight into the reasons for these differences.

“Every board and jurisdiction is unique,” she said, adding that they also have different challenges involved in practicing veterinary medicine and different needs of the public in these jurisdictions. “It is up to each state legislature and regulatory board to determine what are the greatest challenges and what is the best way to address them, with the ultimate goal of public protection.”

There are too many recent changes pertaining to how licensed veterinary professionals can practice in their respective states to list, but we’ve rounded up some of the most recent state law updates and bills pending.

Florida

Senate Bill 382, signed into law on May 17, 2024, exempts certain licensees—including some veterinarians—from CE requirements at the time of this writing.

In Florida, veterinarians are licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), along with barbers, cosmetologists, real estate agents, home inspectors, and other vocations requiring licenses. Veterinarians are the only healthcare providers licensed by this department. SB 382 changed state law to indicate that DBPR licensees who have held an active Florida license for at least 10 years and have had no disciplinary actions will be exempt from ongoing CE requirements.

Florida veterinarians shouldn’t get too excited (or angry, as the case may be) about this change, however. According to the Florida Veterinary Medical Association (FVMA), language to exempt veterinarians licensed under FS Chapter 474 from this law has already been drafted. Senator Ed Hooper, the original sponsor of SB 382, has promised to introduce this amendment during the next legislative session, which could result in the amendment taking effect by July 2025. This would mean that veterinarians renewing their license in May of 2026 (when all Florida veterinary licenses come due for renewal) would still have to meet the requirement of 30 hours of CE every two years as if it had never been changed.

California

Assembly Bill 2954 added Section 31755 on March 18, 2024, to the California Food and Agricultural Code to amend state law regarding the declawing of cats.

The previous law prohibited the declawing of “exotic or native wild cat species.” Section 31755 prohibits the declawing of any cats by any method, unless it is for a therapeutic purpose. Similar laws have passed or are pending in Pennsylvania (SB 1178) and Virginia (HB 1354).

Colorado

Supporters of the creation of a midlevel veterinary practitioner position have recently submitted close to 200,000 signatures in favor of placing Colorado Initiative 145 on the state ballot for the general election in November. If this initiative is added to the ballot, Coloradoans will be able to vote on the establishment of a veterinary professional associate (VPA) position that would require a master’s degree in veterinary clinical care and would allow graduates to diagnose, prescribe, and perform some surgeries.

Also in Colorado, in June 2024, SB24-047 was signed into law, exempting veterinarians from the reporting requirements of a prescription drug use monitoring program that was designed to monitor prescriptions for human patients.

New Hampshire

House Bill 1526-FN, signed into law July 19, 2024, permits the New Hampshire board of veterinary medicine to grant a conditional veterinary license to graduates of non-AVMA-accredited colleges of veterinary medicine under certain conditions.

To qualify, potential licensees must be enrolled in the ECFVG certificate program and have completed all portions of it other than the clinical practice examination. They must also have passed the New Hampshire veterinary jurisprudence examination. The conditional license lasts for up to two years and may only be renewed one time.

Minnesota

HF 4247 was signed into law in May, 2024. Among other things, this new law established the licensure of veterinary technicians by the board of veterinary medicine, to begin July 1, 2026.

Ways to stay informed

Because new laws can have direct effects on the way veterinary professionals practice, it’s important to stay up to date on any changes as they happen. There are multiple ways for busy professionals to keep track of legislative developments that might impact them.

The AVMA issues monthly state legislative updates on their website, where they list both bills that are still under consideration and newly passed laws that affect the practice of veterinary medicine.
Veterinary professionals can consider joining their state veterinary medical association or veterinary technician association to not only stay up to date on laws as they are passed, but also be involved in the advocacy and shaping of laws as they are proposed.
Venit also advocates for volunteerism with state veterinary boards as a “rewarding way to affect the laws within that jurisdiction.” Venit said that some veterinary boards are asked to comment on bills as they are ushered through the legislature, and in most states, it is the board who writes the regulations that are put in place once a new law is passed. This does not always require veterinary professionals to commit to sitting on the board, as there is usually an opportunity for public commentary around new rulemaking. Veterinary board meetings are open to the public as well, so even attending a meeting (live or virtually) can provide valuable insight.

The future of veterinary medicine may look different in each state, but there is a place for each of us to have a say in what that future looks like if we choose to stay informed and get involved.