AB 317, Maienschein. Veterinary medicine: temporary shelter.
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 requirements a temporary shelter that is established to provide care and shelter to animals displaced by a state of emergency, if specified requirements are met, and would authorize the Veterinary Medical Board to inspect a temporary shelter. 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 board containing specific information.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 900.1 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a temporary shelter shall be exempt from the premises registration requirements of Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 4800) if all of the following requirements are met:
(1) The temporary shelter is established to provide care and shelter to animals displaced by a state of emergency, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 8558 of the Government Code, only provides care and shelter to those animals, and, if possible, is located near an American Red Cross shelter, or other equivalent shelter, that houses persons displaced by the state of emergency.
(2) The temporary shelter is operated by either of the following:
(A) A veterinary health care practitioner licensed or certified by, and in good standing in, another state, district, or territory of the United States, who is deployed to this state pursuant to Section 900.
(B) A veterinary health care practitioner licensed or certified by, and in good standing in, this state, who responds to a state of emergency, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 8558 of the Government Code.
(3) The temporary shelter complies with Section 4854.
(4) The temporary shelter does not operate beyond a 60-calendar-day period per state of emergency.
(5) The temporary shelter is deployed in a manner that is consistent with the sheltering guidelines established by the California Animal Response Emergency System (CARES).
(b) Within 30 calendar days after a temporary shelter exempt from premises registration requirements pursuant to this section ceases operations, the party responsible for the temporary shelter shall file a report with the Veterinary Medical Board containing the date, place, type, and general description of the care provided at the shelter, and a listing of the veterinary health care practitioners who participated in providing that care.
(c) The Veterinary Medical Board may inspect a temporary shelter established pursuant to this section.
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