BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1760
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          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
          AB 1760 (Galgiani)
          As Amended March 24, 2008
          Majority vote 

           BUSINESS & PROFESSIONS            9-0                
          APPROPRIATIONS      17-0        
          
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          |Ayes:|Eng, Emmerson, Carter,    |Ayes:|Leno, Walters, Caballero, |
          |     |Hayashi,                  |     |Davis, DeSaulnier,        |
          |     |Hernandez, Horton, Maze,  |     |Emmerson, Furutani,       |
          |     |Price, Torrico            |     |Huffman, Karnette,        |
          |     |                          |     |Krekorian,                |
          |     |                          |     |La Malfa, Lieu, Ma,       |
          |     |                          |     |Nakanishi, Nava, Sharon   |
          |     |                          |     |Runner, Solorio           |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |     |                          |     |                          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
           SUMMARY  :  Requires the California Veterinary Medical Board  
          (Board) to offer the veterinary licensing exam at least twice a  
          year and makes other changes related to the licensure and  
          regulation of veterinary professionals.  Specifically,  this  
          bill  :

          1)Clarifies that the Governor appoints one public member to the  
            Board.

          2)Requires the Board to issue certificates of registration.

          3)Delineates reciprocity requirements, and requires the Board to  
            issue licenses to applicants who fulfill such requirements.   
            This bill also allows applicants to use certificates issued by  
            the Program for Assessment of Education Equivalence to fulfill  
            reciprocity requirements.

          4)Requires the Board to issue temporary licenses to eligible  
            applicants who meet specified requirements and agree to  
            complete the approved educational curriculum on regionally  
            specific and important diseases and conditions in California.

          5)Allows the Board to extend the expiration date of temporary  
            licenses.








                                                                  AB 1760
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          6)Makes various technical and conforming amendments. 

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)Provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of  
            veterinary medicine by the Board.

          2)Requires the Board to ascertain by means of examination given  
            at least once each year, the professional qualifications of  
            applicants for licensure and to issue a license to every  
            qualified applicant.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Appropriations Committee  
          analysis:

          1)This bill would increase licensing revenue by approximately  
            $25,000 in the first year, $50,000 in the second year, and  
            continue to grow by $25,000 a year as 100 new veterinarians  
            are licensed each year.

          2)Costs associated with computer programming changes and  
            workload increases would be approximately $85,000 for 2008-09,  
            with an on-going annual cost of $70,000.

          3)The Department of Consumer Affairs estimates this will result  
            in an increase of 100 veterinarians in California each year.   
            Currently, approximately 12% of veterinarians treat farm  
            animals.  If the purpose of this bill is to attract more  
            agricultural veterinarians, this legislation would result in  
            12 more of these veterinarians in the state each year with a  
            net annual cost of $3,750 per newly licensed agricultural  
            veterinarian.

           COMMENTS  :  According to the author:  "It doesn't make sense that  
          we would spend California tax dollars to educate veterinarians  
          in our state universities, only to have them leave California to  
          practice in another state because it takes too long to get a  
          license in California.  We need to ensure that taxpayer dollars  
          are educating California's future workforce, and that we are  
          able to meet the veterinary needs of our agricultural industry.   
          AB 1760 will ensure that the licensing test is offered at least  
          twice a year, as well as, change the reciprocity standards for  
          veterinarians educated outside of California; helping California  








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          meet the high demands of veterinarians in our state." 
           
           This bill is sponsored by the Western United Dairyman and seeks  
          to address the current veterinarian shortage in California,  
          especially in regards to the farming community.  According to  
          the California Veterinary Medical Association, there are  
          approximately 7,500 veterinarians in California and 222 graduate  
          from veterinary school each year.  According to a November 2004  
          report by the University of California Subcommittee on  
          Veterinary Medical Education, the current national shortfall of  
          at least 1,500 veterinarians could grow to 15,000 or more over  
          the next 20 years.  The author's office notes that the current  
          lack of licensed veterinarians has a direct effect on the safety  
          of our food supply, and cites an American Veterinary Medical  
          Association Study stating that the demand for "food supply  
          veterinarians" (farm animal veterinarians) is predicted to  
          increase 12 to 13% over the next eight years.  This research  
          also shows that there will most likely be a 4 to 5% decrease of  
          these types of veterinarians obtaining jobs in our agricultural  
          and farming communities because of the shortage of veterinarians  
          in this state.

           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Josefina Ramirez / B. & P. / (916)  
          319-3301 


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