Veterinary medicine.

Existing law, the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, provides for the licensure and registration of veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians by the Veterinary Medical Board and makes a violation of the act a crime. Under existing law, a person practices veterinary medicine when he or she, among other things, represents himself or herself as engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine.This bill would additionally provide that a person practices veterinary medicine when he or she advertises himself or herself as engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine.Existing law makes it unlawful for any person to practice veterinary medicine without a license and prohibits a person from using the title "registered veterinary technician" unless he or she has satisfied the requirements for registration. Existing law requires the board to prioritize its investigative and prosecutorial resources to ensure that disciplinary cases against veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians are handled expeditiously.This bill would provide that, if upon completion of an inspection or investigation, the board's executive officer has probable cause to believe that an unlicensed person acting as a veterinarian or registered veterinarian technician has violated the act, he or she may issue a civil citation, as specified, and would provide for the person cited to contest the citation. The bill would also authorize the executive officer to seek injunctive relief, as specified. The bill would also provide that failure to comply with a citation is a misdemeanor, and would designate the distribution of fine moneys collected through convictions of that crime.By changing the definition of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.