BILL ANALYSIS
AB 107
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 107 (Galgiani and Conway)
As Introduced January 12, 2009
Majority vote
BUSINESS & PROFESSIONS 10-0
APPROPRIATIONS 16-0
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|Ayes:|Hayashi, Cook, Conway, |Ayes:|De Leon, Nielsen, |
| |Eng, Hernandez, Nava, | |Ammiano, Davis, Duvall, |
| |Niello, | |Fuentes, Hall, Harkey, |
| |John A. Perez, Ruskin, | |Jones, Miller, John A. |
| |Smyth | |Perez, Price, Skinner, |
| | | |Solorio, Audra |
| | | |Strickland, Torlakson |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the California Veterinary Medical Board
(Board) to offer the veterinary licensing exam at least twice a
year; makes other changes related to reciprocity and temporary
licensing requirements for out-of-state veterinarians; clarifies
the enforcement actions that may be taken against a registered
veterinarian technician (RVT); and, makes other technical and
conforming changes to the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Clarifies that the Governor appoints five members to the
Board, including one public member.
2)Requires the Board to give the veterinary licensing
examination at least twice a year.
3)Delineates reciprocity requirements, and requires the Board to
waive certain examination requirements and issue a license to
an applicant who fulfills such requirements. This bill also
allows an applicant to use a certificate issued by the Program
for Assessment of Education Equivalence to fulfill the
education requirement for purposes of reciprocity.
4)Requires the Board to issue a temporary license valid for one
year to an eligible applicant who agrees to complete the
approved educational curriculum on regionally specific and
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important diseases and conditions in California during the
period of temporary licensure, and who meets all other
specified reciprocity requirements.
5)Allows the Board to extend the expiration date of a temporary
license for not more than one year.
6)Clarifies under what conditions the Board may place on
probation, revoke, suspend the registration of, or take other
enforcement action against a RVT.
7)Makes various technical and conforming amendments.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Provides for the examination, licensure, and regulation of
veterinarians and RVTs 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.
3)Delineates reciprocity requirements, and requires the Board to
waive certain examination requirements and issue a temporary
license valid for one year to a qualified applicant to
practice veterinary medicine under the supervision of a
licensed California veterinarian.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee analysis:
1)Costs associated with computer programming changes and
workload increases would be approximately $110,000 from the
Veterinary Medical Board Contingent Fund for 2009-10, with an
ongoing annual cost of $70,000 from the same fund.
2)This bill would increase licensing revenue by approximately
$25,000 in the first and second years, growing to $50,000 in
2011-12, and continuing to grow by $25,000 a year as 100 new
veterinarians are licensed each year.
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
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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's office, "There is a current
veterinarian shortage in California, particularly affecting the
agricultural communities. Part of the shortage problem is the
fact that current law only requires the Board to offer the
veterinary licensing test once a year, thus driving otherwise
qualified veterinarians to leave the state in order to test for
their license and find employment. Current law is also very
cumbersome to practicing veterinarians in other states who would
like to practice in California.
"AB 107 would authorize the Board to offer the veterinary
licensing exam at least twice a year, which would allow a
greater number of candidates to test for their license. AB 107
will also revise current law to provide different paths for
licensed veterinarians from other states to receive reciprocity.
With such a high demand for veterinarians in California, it is
vital that there is no added bureaucracy preventing veterinary
school graduates or licensed veterinarians from other states
from becoming licensed California veterinarians. AB 107 is an
important bill that will ease this existing burden, and allow
for more veterinarians in California."
Analysis Prepared by : Whitney Clark / B. & P. / (916)
319-3301
FN: 0000242