EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0325*
HOUSE BILL 325
M4, J1 3lr1524
CF 3lr2354
By: Delegates Terrasa, Lehman, Allen, Attar, Chang, Forbes, Grossman, Guyton,
Kaiser, R. Lewis, McCaskill, McComas, Palakovich Carr, Pasteur, Ruth,
Stewart, Taveras, and Wu
Introduced and read first time: January 25, 2023
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Provision of Veterinary Services – Routine Medical Care and Rabies Vaccines 2
FOR the purpose of requiring the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners to 3
authorize a certain veterinary practitioner licensed to practice veterinary medicine 4
in another state or jurisdiction to provide routine medical care in the State under 5
certain circumstances; requiring the Secretary of Health to allow individuals who 6
work in or for a certain veterinary hospital or a certain animal control facility to 7
administer rabies vaccines under certain circumstances; and generally relating to 8
the provision of veterinary services in the State. 9
BY repealing 10
Article – Agriculture 11
Section 2–304(e) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Agriculture 16
Section 2–304(f) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 19
BY adding to 20
Article – Agriculture 21
Section 2–305.1 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 24
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 25 2 HOUSE BILL 325
Article – Health – General 1
Section 18–313 2
Annotated Code of Maryland 3
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 4
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 5
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 6
Article – Agriculture 7
2–304. 8
[(e) (1) The Board may authorize the practice of a health occupation on an 9
animal by a health care practitioner licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized under the 10
Health Occupations Article. 11
(2) If the Board authorizes the practice of a health occupation on an animal 12
under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Board may: 13
(i) Impose requirements for education, training, and supervision by 14
a veterinary practitioner; and 15
(ii) Require the registration of each health care practitioner 16
authorized to practice a health occupation on an animal in accordance with this subsection.] 17
[(f)] (E) On or before December 31 each year, the Board shall report to the 18
Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General 19
Assembly on the Board’s disciplinary activities for the previous fiscal year. 20
2–305.1. 21
(A) (1) THE BOARD MAY AUTHORIZE T HE PRACTICE OF A HEA LTH 22
OCCUPATION ON AN ANI MAL BY A HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER LICENSE D, 23
CERTIFIED, OR OTHERWISE AUTHORIZED UNDER THE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS 24
ARTICLE. 25
(2) IF THE BOARD AUTHORIZES THE PRACTICE OF A HEALTH 26
OCCUPATION ON AN ANI MAL UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE 27
BOARD MAY: 28
(I) IMPOSE REQUIREMENTS F OR EDUCATION , TRAINING, AND 29
SUPERVISION BY A VETERINARY PRACTIT IONER; AND 30
HOUSE BILL 325 3
(II) REQUIRE THE REGISTRAT ION OF EACH HEALTH C ARE 1
PRACTITIONER AUTHORI ZED TO PRACTICE A HE ALTH OCCUPATION ON A N ANIMAL 2
IN ACCORDANCE WITH T HIS SUBSECTION . 3
(B) (1) THE BOARD SHALL AUTHORIZE A VETERINARY PRACTIT IONER 4
LICENSED, CERTIFIED, OR OTHERWISE AUTHORI ZED TO PRACTICE VETE RINARY 5
MEDICINE IN ANOTHER STATE OR JURISDICTION TO PROV IDE ROUTINE MEDICAL 6
CARE IN THE STATE IF THE VETERINARY PRACT ITIONER: 7
(I) WILL PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO AN ANIMAL SHELTER , AS 8
DEFINED IN § 2–1701 OF THIS TITLE, LOCATED IN THE STATE; AND 9
(II) IS NOT OTHERWISE PROHIBITED FROM PRAC TICING 10
VETERINARY MEDICINE DUE TO A KNOWN ETHIC S OR CRIMINAL VIOLAT ION. 11
(2) THE ROUTINE MEDICAL C ARE PROVIDED BY A VETERINARY 12
PRACTITIONER AUTHORI ZED TO PRACTICE VETE RINARY MEDICINE UNDE R 13
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION M AY INCLUDE: 14
(I) SPAYING AND NEUTERING ; 15
(II) VACCINATIONS; 16
(III) HEALTH EXAMINATIONS ; AND 17
(IV) COMPLETING CERTIFICAT IONS OF HEALTH . 18
Article – Health – General 19
18–313. 20
The Secretary of Health shall provide a statewide system: 21
(1) To control rabies; 22
(2) To grant authority to the public health veterinarian and the local health 23
officer in matters pertaining to the disposition of animals that bite or otherwise expose 24
rabies to an individual; 25
(3) To assist local political subdivisions regarding the laboratory testing of 26
rabid animals; 27
(4) To treat each individual who is exposed or suspected of having been 28
exposed to rabies; [and] 29
4 HOUSE BILL 325
(5) To distribute, in accordance with the conditions set by the Secretary of 1
Agriculture, the biological products that are needed to prevent and treat rabies; AND 2
(6) TO ALLOW INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK IN OR FOR A VETERINARY 3
HOSPITAL, AS DEFINED IN § 2–304.1 OF THE AGRICULTURE ARTICLE, OR AN ANIMAL 4
CONTROL FACILITY , AS DEFINED IN § 2–305 OF THE AGRICULTURE ARTICLE, TO 5
ADMINISTER RABIES VA CCINES IF: 6
(I) FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WOR KING IN OR FOR A VET ERINARY 7
HOSPITAL, THE VETERINARY HOSPIT AL IS LICENSED UNDER § 2–304.1 OF THE 8
AGRICULTURE ARTICLE; 9
(II) FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WOR KING IN OR FOR AN ANIMAL 10
CONTROL FACILITY , THE ANIMAL CONTROL F ACILITY IS LICENSED TO ADMIN ISTER 11
DRUGS UNDER § 2–305 OF THE AGRICULTURE ARTICLE; AND 12
(III) THE RABIES VACCINE IS ADMINISTE RED IN ACCORDANCE 13
WITH APPLICABLE PROTOCOLS FOR LICENS ED VETERINARIAN S. 14
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 15
October 1, 2023. 16