BILL NUMBER: AB 1583 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 167
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 9, 2001
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR AUGUST 8, 2001
PASSED THE SENATE JULY 21, 2001
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 17, 2001
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Negrete McLeod
FEBRUARY 23, 2001
An act to amend Section 4848 of the Business and Professions Code,
relating to veterinary medicine.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1583, Negrete McLeod. Veterinary medicine.
Existing law requires the Veterinary Medical Board in the
Department of Consumer Affairs, by means of examination, to ascertain
the professional qualifications of all applicants for licensure to
practice veterinary medicine in this state and to issue a license to
every person whom it finds to be qualified. Existing law also
requires the board, until July 1, 2002, to waive the examination
requirements and to issue a temporary license to an applicant to
practice veterinary medicine under the supervision of a licensed
California veterinarian if the applicant meets certain requirements.
This bill would delete the July 1, 2002 termination date for the
examination waiver.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 4848 of the Business and Professions Code is
amended to read:
4848. (a) (1) The board shall, by means of examination, ascertain
the professional qualifications of all applicants for licenses to
practice veterinary medicine in this state and shall issue a license
to every person whom it finds to be qualified. No license shall be
issued to anyone who has not demonstrated his or her competency by
examination.
(2) The examination shall consist of each of the following:
(A) A licensing examination that is administered on a national
basis.
(B) A California state board examination.
(C) An examination concerning those statutes and regulations of
the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act administered by the board. The
examination shall be administered by mail and provided to applicants
within 10 to 20 days of eligibility determination. The board shall
have 10 to 20 days from the date of receipt to process the
examination and provide candidates with the results of the
examination. The applicant shall certify that he or she personally
completed the examination. Any false statement is a violation
subject to Section 4831. University of California veterinary medical
students who have successfully completed a course on veterinary law
and ethics covering the California Veterinary Medicine Practice Act
shall be exempt from this provision.
(3) The examinations may be given at the same time or at different
times as determined by the board. For examination purposes, the
board may make contractual arrangements on a sole source basis with
organizations furnishing examination material as it may deem
desirable and shall be exempt from Section 10115 of the Public
Contract Code.
(4) The licensing examination may be waived by the board in any
case in which it determines that the applicant has taken and passed
an examination for licensure in another state substantially
equivalent in scope and subject matter to the licensing examination
last given in California before the determination is made, and has
achieved a score on the out-of-state examination at least equal to
the score required to pass the licensing examination administered in
California.
(5) Nothing in this chapter shall preclude the board from
permitting a person who has completed a portion of his or her
educational program, as determined by the board, in a veterinary
college, recognized by the board under Section 4846, to take any
examination or any part thereof prior to satisfying the requirements
for application for a license established by Section 4846.
(b) The board shall waive the examination requirements of
subdivision (a), and issue a temporary license valid for one year to
an applicant to practice veterinary medicine under the supervision of
another licensed California veterinarian in good standing, if the
applicant meets all of the following requirements and would not be
denied issuance of a license by any other provision of this code:
(1) The applicant holds a current valid license in good standing
in another state, Canadian province, or United States territory and
has practiced clinical veterinary medicine for a minimum of four
years full time within the five years immediately preceding filing an
application for licensure in this state. Experience obtained while
participating in an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
accredited institution's internship, residency, or specialty board
training program shall be valid for meeting the minimum experience
requirement.
The term "in good standing" means that an applicant under this
section:
(A) Is not currently under investigation nor has been charged with
an offense for any act substantially related to the practice of
veterinary medicine by any public agency, nor entered into any
consent agreement or subject to an administrative decision that
contains conditions placed by an agency upon an applicant's
professional conduct or practice, including any voluntary surrender
of license, nor been the subject of an adverse judgment resulting
from the practice of veterinary medicine that the board determines
constitutes evidence of a pattern of incompetence or negligence.
(B) Has no physical or mental impairment related to drugs,
alcohol, or has not been found mentally incompetent by a physician so
that the applicant is unable to undertake the practice of veterinary
medicine in a manner consistent with the safety of a patient or the
public.
(2) At the time of original licensure, the applicant passed the
national licensing requirement in veterinary science with a passing
score or scores on the examination or examinations equal to or
greater than the passing score required to pass the national
licensing examination or examinations administered in this state.
(3) The applicant has either graduated from a veterinary college
recognized by the board under Section 4846 or possesses a certificate
issued by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary
Graduates (ECFVG).
(4) The applicant passes an examination concerning the statutes
and regulations of the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, administered
by the board, pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2) of
subdivision (a).
(5) The applicant agrees to complete an approved educational
curriculum on regionally specific and important diseases and
conditions during the period of temporary licensure. The board, in
consultation with the California Veterinary Medical Association
(CVMA), shall approve educational curricula that cover appropriate
regionally specific and important diseases and conditions that are
common in California. The curricula shall focus on small and large
animal diseases consistent with the current proportion of small and
large animal veterinarians practicing in the state. The approved
curriculum shall not exceed 30 hours of educational time. The board
shall approve a curriculum as soon as practical, but not later than
June 1, 1999. The approved curriculum may be offered by multiple
providers so that it is widely accessible to candidates licensed
under this subdivision.
(c) Upon receipt of acknowledgment of successful completion of the
requirements set forth in subdivision (b), the board shall issue a
license to the applicant. Any applicant who does not meet the
requirements of subdivision (b) shall take a California state board
examination as specified in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of
subdivision (a).