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Senate Bill 1312 |
Senate Author: Schwertner |
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Effective: 9-1-13 |
House Sponsor: Aycock |
Senate Bill 1312 amends the Veterinary Licensing Act in the Occupations Code to require the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners to adopt rules to provide for the licensing and regulation of licensed veterinary technicians, rather than authorizing the board to adopt rules regarding the work of a person who, in part, fulfills the requirements established by a board-approved organization for registered veterinary technicians. The bill sets out provisions relating to license qualifications, application requirements, jurisprudence examination, and continuing education.
Senate Bill 1312 requires decisions relating to the diagnosis, treatment, management, and future disposition of an animal patient to be made by a supervising veterinarian and sets out provisions relating to the delegation and supervision of animal care tasks to a licensed veterinary technician, a certified veterinary assistant, or a veterinary assistant. The bill sets out the scope of practice of such technicians and assistants and prohibits the operation of a satellite office or mobile facility without a supervising veterinarian.
Senate Bill 1312 makes a person subject to denial of a license under the act or to disciplinary action by the board if the person is convicted of cruelty to livestock animals, attacks on assistance animals, or cruelty to nonlivestock animals; the person represents himself or herself as a veterinarian without a license; the person practices veterinary medicine or assists in the practice of veterinary medicine without a license; or the person violates veterinarian-client confidentiality or a board rule related to confidentiality. The bill authorizes the board to appoint advisory committees to perform advisory functions as assigned by the board and sets out provisions regarding such committees.