BILL ANALYSIS ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 969| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ THIRD READING Bill No: SB 969 Author: Aanestad (R) Amended: 5/30/07 Vote: 21 SENATE BUS., PROF. & ECON. DEVEL. COMMITTEE : 6-0, 4/23/07 AYES: Ridley-Thomas, Aanestad, Corbett, Denham, Florez, Harman NO VOTE RECORDED: Simitian, Yee SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8 SUBJECT : Veterinary medicine SOURCE : California Veterinary Medical Association DIGEST : This bill allows a registered veterinarian technician or an unregistered assistant to administer a drug including controlled substances under the direct or indirect supervision, as defined, of a licensed veterinarian. ANALYSIS : Existing Law 1.Provides for the licensing and regulation of approximately 11,600 veterinarians and 3,700 registered veterinary technicians (RVTs) by the Veterinary Medical Board (Board) in the Department of Consumer Affairs. CONTINUED SB 969 Page 2 2.Prohibits any person not licensed by the Board from practicing veterinary medicine, and provides that an applicant for a license to practice veterinary medicine shall have graduated from a veterinary college, passed a national-administered licensing examination, a state board examination, and an examination on the statutes and regulations of the Veterinary Medical Practice Act. 3.Requires the Board to adopt regulations establishing animal health care tasks and an appropriate degree of supervision required for those tasks that may be performed only by a RVT, or a licensed veterinarian, and allows the Board to adopt regulations for animal health care tasks to be performed by unregistered assistants (UAs) and the degree to which UAs would be supervised by a RVT or a licensed veterinarian. 4.Provides that a person practices veterinary medicine when he or she, among other things, administers a drug for the prevention, cure, or relief of a wound, fracture, bodily injury, or disease of animals, except where the drug is administered by a registered veterinary technician or an unregistered assistant at the direction of and under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian. Does not allow any person other than a licensed veterinarian to induce anesthesia unless authorized by regulation of the Board. This bill: 1.Allows, until January 1, 2012, a RVT or an UA to administer a drug, except for anesthesia, under the direct or indirect supervision of a licensed veterinarian when done pursuant to the order, control, and full professional responsibility of a licensed veterinarian. 2.Defines "drug" and "controlled substance" as specified under the Health and Safety Code. Defines "direct supervision" and "indirect supervision" as specified in the California Code of Regulations. FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No SB 969 Page 3 SUPPORT : (Verified 5/29/07) California Veterinary Medical Association (source) Veterinary Medical Board (if amended) ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office, "for years, Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs) and unregistered assistants (UAs) working in veterinary practices in California and other states have been allowed to administer controlled substances under the indirect supervision of a veterinarian. A new interpretation of the law by the California Veterinary Medical Board recently opined that this practice is not authorized. The Veterinary Medical Board promulgated regulations which allow RVTs to administer a controlled substance under indirect supervision. However, UAs must be directly supervised. There regulations are contradictory and create a problem for veterinarians who do not have RVTs." JJA:do 5/30/07 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE **** END ****