BILL ANALYSIS SB 969 Page 1 SENATE THIRD READING SB 969 (Aanestad) As Amended May 30, 2007 Majority vote SENATE VOTE :39-0 BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS 10-0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Eng, Emmerson, Lieu, | | | | |Carter, Hayashi, | | | | |Hernandez, Horton, Maze, | | | | |Price, Torrico | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY : Allows a registered veterinarian technician (RVT) or an unregistered assistant (UA) to administer a drug, including controlled substances, under the direct or indirect supervision, as defined, of a licensed veterinarian. Specifically, this bill : 1)Allows, until January 1, 2012, a RVT or 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. 3)Defines "direct supervision" and "indirect supervision" as specified in the California Code of Regulations. EXISTING LAW : 1)Provides for the licensing and regulation of approximately 11,600 veterinarians and 3,700 RVTs by the Veterinary Medical Board (Board) in the Department of Consumer Affairs. 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 SB 969 Page 2 licensing examination, a 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 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/she, among other things, administers a drug for prevention, cure, or relief of a wound, fracture, bodily injury, or disease of animals, except where the drug is administered by a RVT or UA at the direction of and under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian. 5)Allows a RVT or UA to administer a drug under the indirect supervision of a licensed veterinarian when done pursuant to the order, control, and full professional responsibility of a licensed veterinarian. 6)Defines "direct supervision" as meaning the supervisor is physically present at the location where animal health care job tasks are to be preformed and the animal has been examined by a veterinarian at such time as good veterinary medical practices requires, as described. 7)Defines "indirect supervision" as meaning that the supervisor is not physically present at the location where the animal health care job tasks are to be preformed but has given either written or oral instructions for treatment of the animal patient and the animal has been examined by a veterinarian at such time as good veterinary medical practices requires. FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal. COMMENTS : According to the author, "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 SB 969 Page 3 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. Their regulations are contradictory and create a problem for veterinarians who do not have RVTs." Analysis Prepared by : Tracy Rhine / B. & P. / (916) 319-3301 FN: 0001648