Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H4912 Compare Versions

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1	1	1 of 6
2	2	HOUSE . . . . . . . No. 4912
3	3	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
4	4	______________________________________
5	5	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, July 25, 2024.
6	6	The committee on Ways and Means, to whom was referred the Bill
7	7	regulating the practice and licensure of veterinary technicians (House, No.
8	8	332), reports recommending that the same ought to pass with an
9	9	amendment substituting therefor the accompanying bill (House, No.
10	10	4912).
11	11	For the committee,
12	12	AARON MICHLEWITZ. 2 of 6
13	13	FILED ON: 7/25/2024
14	14	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4912
15	15	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
16	16	_______________
17	17	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
18	18	(2023-2024)
19	19	_______________
20	20	An Act regulating the practice and licensure of veterinary technicians.
21	21	Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to
22	22	forthwith regulate the practice and licensure of veterinary technicians, therefore it is hereby
23	23	declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
24	24	convenience.
25	25	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
26	26	of the same, as follows:
27	27	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 13 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section
28	28	226 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
29	29	3 Section 26. (a) There shall be a board of registration in veterinary medicine, in sections
30	30	427 and 28 called the board, consisting of 4 veterinarians, 3 licensed veterinary technicians, as
31	31	5defined in section 54A of chapter 112, selected from a list of nominees provided by the
32	32	6Massachusetts Veterinary Technician Association, and 2 representatives of the public, subject to
33	33	7section 9B. Each member shall be appointed by the governor. Each member of the board shall be
34	34	8a legal resident of the commonwealth. Each veterinarian member of the board shall be licensed
35	35	9to practice veterinary medicine in the commonwealth, a graduate of a school or college teaching
36	36	10veterinary medicine and approved by the approving authority and shall have had at least 5 years’
37	37	11experience in the active practice of veterinary medicine, surgery and dentistry prior to their 3 of 6
38	38	12appointment. Each licensed veterinary technician member shall be licensed in accordance with
39	39	13with section 56F of chapter 112. No member shall be a member of any faculty in any institution
40	40	14having the power to confer degrees in veterinary medicine. One member thereof shall annually
41	41	15before December first be appointed by the governor, for 5 years from January first following. No
42	42	16member appointed to a full 5-year term shall be reappointed to succeed themself.
43	43	17 SECTION 2. Section 54A of chapter 112 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
44	44	18Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, after the definition of “Board”, the following
45	45	19definition:-
46	46	20 “Licensed veterinary technician”, a graduate of an American Veterinary Medical
47	47	21Association accredited program in veterinary technology or veterinary nursing who has achieved
48	48	22a passing score on an approved licensing exam as determined by the board and is licensed in the
49	49	23commonwealth.
50	50	24 SECTION 3. Said section 54A of said chapter 112, as so appearing, is hereby further
51	51	25amended by inserting, after the definition of “Veterinarian”, the following definition:-
52	52	26 “Veterinary assistant”, an individual working as part of a veterinary healthcare team who
53	53	27is not a licensed veterinary technician.
54	54	28 SECTION 4. Said section 54A of said chapter 112, as so appearing, is hereby further
55	55	29amended by adding the following definition:-
56	56	30 “Veterinary technology”, the performance of services within the field of veterinary
57	57	31medicine by a licensed veterinary technician who is employed by or under the supervision of a 4 of 6
58	58	32licensed veterinarian to perform such duties as are required in carrying out medical orders as
59	59	33prescribed by a licensed veterinarian.
60	60	34 SECTION 5. Said chapter 112 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 56E
61	61	35the following section:-
62	62	36 Section 56F. (a)(1) An individual shall be licensed as a veterinary technician, by the
63	63	37board, to practice veterinary technology. Only those individuals who are licensed shall utilize the
64	64	38title of veterinary technician. No person shall hold themself out as a licensed veterinary
65	65	39technician or as being able to practice veterinary technology in the commonwealth unless
66	66	40licensed in accordance with this section; provided, that any individual or veterinary practice in
67	67	41violation of this subsection may be subject to fines as established by the board.
68	68	42 (2) Veterinary technician students, or other individuals deemed appropriate by the board,
69	69	43working under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian or a licensed veterinary technician may
70	70	44engage in activities necessary to learn and practice supervised techniques on patients.
71	71	45 (b)(1) The board shall promulgate rules and regulations by which veterinary technicians
72	72	46shall be licensed and registered in the commonwealth. The board may recommend the
73	73	47suspension or revocation of a veterinary technician’s license for failure to abide by the laws of
74	74	48the commonwealth or regulations promulgated by the board.
75	75	49 (2) The regulations shall: (i) delineate the duties which supervising, licensed veterinarians
76	76	50may assign to licensed veterinary technicians and to non-licensed veterinary assistants; (ii)
77	77	51address the maintenance, suspension and revocation of licenses; (iii) provide for continuing
78	78	52education requirements for licensed veterinary technicians; (iv) determine the criteria by which
79	79	53an individual shall be deemed a licensed veterinary technician or a veterinary assistant; and (v) 5 of 6
80	80	54establish guidance for students working under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian or
81	81	55licensed veterinarian technician pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection (a).
82	82	56 (c) This section shall not apply to: (i) a research institution as defined in section 136A of
83	83	57chapter 140; or (ii) special cases, including zoos and aquaria, diagnostic facilities, licensed
84	84	58wildlife rehabilitation facilities and any other such special cases as the subsidiary board shall
85	85	59identify.
86	86	60 SECTION 6. Notwithstanding section 26 of chapter 13 of the General Laws, or any other
87	87	61general or special law to the contrary, the initial appointments of veterinary technicians to the
88	88	62board of registration in veterinary medicine shall be Massachusetts Veterinary Technician
89	89	63Association certified veterinary technicians and said initial veterinary technician appointees shall
90	90	64be appointed for 3-year terms.
91	91	65 SECTION 7. The board of registration in veterinary medicine shall promulgate
92	92	66regulations pursuant to section 56F of chapter 112 of the General Laws, inserted by section 5, not
93	93	67later than 180 days after the effective date of this act.
94	94	68 SECTION 8. Not later than 180 days after the effective date of this act, the board of
95	95	69registration in veterinary medicine shall provide information to veterinarians, veterinary
96	96	70practices and animal hospitals regarding the differences in the duties and actions allowed for by
97	97	71licensed veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants as promulgated under regulations
98	98	72pursuant to section 56F of chapter 112 of the General Laws, inserted by section 5.
99	99	73 SECTION 9. The board of registration in veterinary medicine shall issue temporary
100	100	74licenses for individuals practicing veterinary technology and shall promulgate regulations for the 6 of 6
101	101	75temporary licensure of individuals practicing veterinary technology within 180 days of the
102	102	76effective date of this act.
103	103	77 SECTION 10. All individuals practicing veterinary medicine technology required to be
104	104	78licensed pursuant to section 56F of chapter 112 of the General Laws, inserted by section 5, shall
105	105	79be licensed not later than July 1, 2030.