EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0325*
HOUSE BILL 325
M4, J1 3lr1524
CF SB 390
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
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 1, 2023
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Provision of Veterinary Services – Routine Medical Care Practice of Veterinary 2
Medicine and Rabies Vaccines 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners to establish 4
a certain process to authorize a certain veterinary practitioner licensed to practice 5
veterinary medicine in another state or jurisdiction to provide routine medical care 6
become licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State under certain 7
circumstances; requiring the Secretary of Health to allow individuals who work in or 8
for a certain veterinary hospital or a certain animal control facility certain 9
individuals to administer rabies vaccines under certain circumstances; and generally 10
relating to the provision of veterinary services in the State. 11
BY repealing 12
Article – Agriculture 13
Section 2–304(e) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 16
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 17
Article – Agriculture 18
Section 2–304(f) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 21 2 HOUSE BILL 325
BY adding to 1
Article – Agriculture 2
Section 2–305.1 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 5
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6
Article – Health – General 7
Section 18–313 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 10
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12
Article – Agriculture 13
2–304. 14
[(e) (1) The Board may authorize the practice of a health occupation on an 15
animal by a health care practitioner licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized under the 16
Health Occupations Article. 17
(2) If the Board authorizes the practice of a health occupation on an animal 18
under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Board may: 19
(i) Impose requirements for education, training, and supervision by 20
a veterinary practitioner; and 21
(ii) Require the registration of each health care practitioner 22
authorized to practice a health occupation on an animal in accordance with this subsection.] 23
[(f)] (E) On or before December 31 each year, the Board shall report to the 24
Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General 25
Assembly on the Board’s disciplinary activities for the previous fiscal year. 26
2–305.1. 27
(A) (1) THE BOARD MAY AUTHORIZE T HE PRACTICE OF A HEA LTH 28
OCCUPATION ON AN ANI MAL BY A HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER LICENSE D, 29
CERTIFIED, OR OTHERWISE AUTHORI ZED UNDER TH E HEALTH OCCUPATIONS 30
ARTICLE. 31
HOUSE BILL 325 3
(2) IF THE BOARD AUTHORIZES THE PRACTICE OF A HEALTH 1
OCCUPATION ON AN ANI MAL UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE 2
BOARD MAY: 3
(I) IMPOSE REQUIREMENTS F OR EDUCATION , TRAINING, AND 4
SUPERVISION BY A VET ERINARY PRACTI TIONER; AND 5
(II) REQUIRE THE REGISTRAT ION OF EACH HEALTH C ARE 6
PRACTITIONER AUTHORI ZED TO PRACTICE A HE ALTH OCCUPATION ON A N ANIMAL 7
IN ACCORDANCE WITH T HIS SUBSECTION . 8
(B) (1) THE BOARD SHALL ESTABLISH AN EXPEDIT ED PROCESS TO 9
AUTHORIZE A VETERINA RY PRACTITIONER LICENSED, CERTIFIED, OR OTHERWISE 10
AUTHORIZED WHO HOLDS A CURRENT , VALID LICENSE TO PRACTICE VETERINA RY 11
MEDICINE IN ANOTHER STATE OR JURISDICTIO N TO PROVIDE ROUTINE MEDI CAL 12
CARE IN THE STATE IF THE VETERINA RY PRACTITIONER : 13
(I) WILL PROVIDE THE SERV ICES TO AN ANIMAL SH ELTER, AS 14
DEFINED IN § 2–1701 OF THIS TITLE, LOCATED IN THE STATE; AND 15
(II) IS NOT OTHERWISE PROH IBITED FROM PRACTICI NG 16
VETERINARY MEDICINE DUE TO A KNOWN ETHIC S OR CRIMINAL VIOLAT ION. 17
(2) THE ROUTI NE MEDICAL CARE PROV IDED BY A VETERINARY 18
PRACTITIONER AUTHORI ZED TO PRACTICE VETE RINARY MEDICINE UNDE R 19
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION M AY INCLUDE: 20
(I) SPAYING AND NEUTERING ; 21
(II) VACCINATIONS; 22
(III) HEALTH EXAMINATIONS ; AND 23
(IV) COMPLETING CERTIFICAT IONS OF HEALTH BECOME 24
LICENSED TO PRACTICE VETERINARY MEDICINE IN THE STATE. 25
Article – Health – General 26
18–313. 27
The Secretary of Health shall provide a statewide system: 28
(1) To control rabies; 29
4 HOUSE BILL 325
(2) To grant authority to the public health veterinarian and the local health 1
officer in matters pertaining to the disposition of animals that bite or otherwise expose 2
rabies to an individual; 3
(3) To assist local political subdivisions regarding the laboratory testing of 4
rabid animals; 5
(4) To treat each individual who is exposed or suspected of having been 6
exposed to rabies; [and] 7
(5) To distribute, in accordance with the conditions set by the Secretary of 8
Agriculture, the biological products that are needed to prevent and treat rabies; AND 9
(6) TO ALLOW INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK IN OR FOR A VETERINA RY 10
HOSPITAL, AS DEFINED IN § 2–304.1 OF THE AGRICULTURE ARTICLE A VETERINARY 11
TECHNICIAN, AS DEFINED IN § 2–301 OF THE AGRICULTURE ARTICLE, OR OTHER 12
CLINICAL STAFF WHO W ORK IN OR FOR AN ANI MAL SHELTER , AS DEFINED IN § 13
2–1701 OF THE AGRICULTURE ARTICLE, OR AN ANIMAL CONTROL FACILITY, AS 14
DEFINED IN § 2–305 OF THE AGRICULTURE ARTICLE, TO ADMINISTER RABIES 15
VACCINES IF: 16
(I) FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WOR KING IN OR FOR A VET ERINARY 17
HOSPITAL, THE VETERINARY HOSPI TAL IS LICENSED UNDE R § 2–304.1 OF THE 18
AGRICULTURE ARTICLE; 19
(II) FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WOR KING IN OR FOR AN AN IMAL 20
CONTROL FACILITY, THE THE ANIMAL SHELTER OR ANIMAL CONTROL FACIL ITY IS 21
LICENSED TO ADMINIST ER DRUGS UNDER § 2–305 OF THE AGRICULTURE ARTICLE; 22
AND 23
(III) THE RABIES VACCINE IS ADMINISTERED IN ACCO RDANCE 24
WITH APPLICABLE PROT OCOLS FOR LICENSED V ETERINARIANS 25
(II) THE ANIMAL BEING VACC INATED IS UNDER THE CUSTODY 26
OR CONTROL OF AN ANI MAL SHELTER OR ANIMA L CONTROL FACILITY ; 27
(III) THE VETERINARY PRACTI TIONER WHO SIGNS THE RABIES 28
VACCINATION CERTIFIC ATE HAS ENSURED THAT THE INDIVIDUAL ADMIN ISTERING 29
THE RABIES VACCINE WAS APPROPRI ATELY TRAINED ON ADM INISTERING RABIES 30
VACCINES, INCLUDING PROPER STO RAGE, HANDLING, ADMINISTRATION , AND 31
MANAGEMENT OF ADVERS E REACTIONS; AND 32
(IV) THE INDIVIDUAL ADMINI STERING THE VACCINE IS 33
IDENTIFIED ON THE RA BIES VACCINATION CER TIFICATE. 34
HOUSE BILL 325 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, on or before December 1, 1
2023, the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners shall report to the General 2
Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on: 3
(1) the status of establishing an expedited process for a veterinary 4
practitioner who holds a valid, current license to practice veterinary medicine in another 5
state or jurisdiction to become licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State as 6
authorized under Section 1 of this Act; and 7
(2) any financial support needed to implement the expedited process. 8
SECTION 2. 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 9
October 1, 2023. 10
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.