Amended in Senate June 30, 2015

Amended in Assembly April 27, 2015

Amended in Assembly March 26, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 317


Introduced by Assembly Member Maienschein

February 13, 2015


An act to add Sectionbegin delete 4853.7end deletebegin insert 900.1end insert to the Business and Professions Code, relating to veterinary medicine.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 317, as amended, Maienschein. Veterinary medicine: temporarybegin delete shelter facility.end deletebegin insert shelter.end insert

Under existing law, the Veterinary Medical Board licenses and regulates veterinarians and the practice of veterinary medicine. It is unlawful for any person to practice veterinary medicine in this state unless he or she holds a valid, unexpired, and unrevoked license issued by the board, except under specified circumstances.

Existing law requires the registration of all premises where veterinary medicine, veterinary dentistry, or veterinary surgery is being practiced. Existing law also requires these premises, and all instruments, apparatus, and apparel used in connection with those practices, to be kept clean and sanitary at all times, and to conform to those minimum standards established by the board. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to violate these provisions regulating the practice of veterinary medicine.

This bill would exempt from the premises registration requirementsbegin delete an organization that establishesend delete a temporary shelterbegin delete facility during a state of emergency to provide veterinary medical care by a veterinarian who is regularly licensed in good standing in another state or territory of the United States if the temporary shelter facility meets specified requirements.end deletebegin insert that is established to provide care and shelter to animals displaced by a state of emergency, iend insertbegin insertf specified requirements are met. The bill would require, within 30 calendar days after the temporary shelter ceases operations, the party responsible for the temporary shelter to file a report with the Veterinary Medical Board containing specific information.end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1begin insert

begin insertSECTION 1.end insert  

end insert

begin insertSection 900.1 is added to the end insertbegin insertBusiness and
2Professions Code
end insert
begin insert, to read:end insert

begin insert
3

begin insert900.1.end insert  

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a temporary shelter
4shall be exempt from the premises registration requirements of
5Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 4800) if all of the following
6requirements are met:

7(1) The temporary shelter is established to provide care and
8shelter to animals displaced by a state of emergency, as defined
9in subdivision (b) of Section 8558 of the Government Code, only
10provides care and shelter to those animals, and, if possible, is
11located near an American Red Cross shelter, or other equivalent
12shelter, that houses persons displaced by the state of emergency.

13(2) The temporary shelter is operated by either of the following:

14(A) A veterinary health care practitioner licensed or certified
15by, and in good standing in, another state, district, or territory of
16the United States, who is deployed to this state pursuant to Section
17900.

18(B) A veterinary health care practitioner licensed or certified
19by, and in good standing in, this state, who responds to a state of
20emergency, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 8558 of the
21Government Code.

22(3) The temporary shelter complies with Section 4854.

23(4) The temporary shelter does not operate beyond a
2460-calendar-day period per state of emergency. If the state of
25emergency exceeds the initial 60-calendar-day period, the Director
26of the Emergency Medical Services Authority may grant an
P3    1extension of that period in 30-calendar-day increments until the
2state of emergency is concluded.

3(b) Within 30 calendar days after a temporary shelter exempt
4from premises registration requirements pursuant to this section
5ceases operations, the party responsible for the temporary shelter
6shall file a report with the Veterinary Medical Board containing
7the date, place, type, and general description of the care provided
8at the shelter, and a listing of the veterinary health care
9practitioners who participated in providing that care.

end insert
begin delete
10

SECTION 1.  

Section 4853.7 is added to the Business and
11Professions Code
, to read:

12

4853.7.  

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter,
13an organization that establishes a temporary shelter facility to
14provide veterinary medical care, shelter, and food and water during
15a state of emergency, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 8558,
16by a veterinarian who is regularly licensed in good standing in
17another state or territory of the United States shall be exempt from
18the premises registration requirements of this chapter if the
19following requirements are met:

20(a) A notice is posted in a conspicuous location that the
21temporary shelter facility is being used for the diagnosis and
22treatment of animals affected by the state of emergency and that
23this diagnosis and treatment is provided by a veterinarian who is
24licensed in another state or territory of the United States.

25(b) The temporary shelter facility complies with the standards
26established pursuant to Section 4854.

27(c) The temporary shelter ceases operations within 60 days after
28its establishment unless the board grants an extension of this date
29to protect the public health and safety of the animals within the
30temporary shelter.

end delete


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