Veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians.

Existing law, the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, provides for the licensure and registration of veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians, and the regulation of the practice of veterinary medicine by the Veterinary Medical Board, which consists of 7 members, 3 of whom are public members and 4 of whom are licensed veterinarians. Existing law requires the Governor to appoint the 4 licensed veterinarians and the Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly to each appoint a public member. Existing law requires the board to ascertain, by means of examination, the professional qualifications of applicants for licensure to practice veterinary medicine and to issue a license to every person whom it finds to be qualified. Existing law requires that the examination consist of a licensing examination administered on a national basis, a state board examination, and an examination concerning the statutes and regulations of the act administered by the board. Existing law requires that the complete examination be given at least once each year. Existing law requires the board to waive the examination requirement and issue a temporary license valid for one year to an applicant under the supervision of another California-licensed veterinarian under specified conditions. Existing law requires an applicant for registration as a veterinary technician to meet specified age and education requirements, to pass a written and practical examination, and to register with the board. Existing law authorizes the board to issue citations to, place on probation, and revoke or suspend the license of, a licensed veterinarian who violates the act. Existing law authorizes the board to revoke or suspend the registration of a registered veterinary technician who violates the act. Under existing law, veterinary licenses and veterinary technician registrations expire after a 2-year term, but may be renewed at any time within 5 years after expiration, as specified. Under existing law, revoked licenses are subject to expiration, and, if a revoked license is reinstated, specified fees are required to be paid. This bill would specify that the Governor shall appoint 5 members to the board, including one public member. The bill would require that the state board examination for licensure as a veterinarian be given at least twice each year, would require the board to waive the examination requirement and issue a license to an applicant if he or she meets certain requirements, including holding a license in good standing in another state and having practiced clinical veterinary medicine for a specified amount of time, and would also revise the requirements for issuance of a temporary license to practice veterinary medicine. The bill would modify the examination requirements for registration as a veterinary technician on and after January 1, 2011, to instead require that an applicant for registration pass both a national licensing examination and an examination specific to the animal health care tasks limited to California registered veterinary technicians, as approved by the board. The bill would also authorize the board to assess fines on and issue citations to, and place on probation, a registered veterinary technician who violates the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act. The bill would make the provisions of the act relative to revocation and reinstatement of licenses applicable to veterinary technician registrations. Because fees for the reinstatement of a revoked veterinary technician registration collected by the board pursuant to these provisions would be deposited in the Veterinary Medical Board Contingent Fund, which is a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation.