EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
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SENATE BILL 390
M4, J1 3lr2354
CF HB 325
By: Senators Lewis Young and Rosapepe
Introduced and read first time: February 1, 2023
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
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
Article – Health – General 26
Section 18–313 27 2 SENATE BILL 390
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 2
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 3
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 4
Article – Agriculture 5
2–304. 6
[(e) (1) The Board may authorize the practice of a health occupation on an 7
animal by a health care practitioner licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized under the 8
Health Occupations Article. 9
(2) If the Board authorizes the practice of a health occupation on an animal 10
under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Board may: 11
(i) Impose requirements for education, training, and supervision by 12
a veterinary practitioner; and 13
(ii) Require the registration of each health care practitioner 14
authorized to practice a health occupation on an animal in accordance with this subsection.] 15
[(f)] (E) On or before December 31 each year, the Board shall report to the 16
Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General 17
Assembly on the Board’s disciplinary activities for the previous fiscal year. 18
2–305.1. 19
(A) (1) THE BOARD MAY AUTHORIZE THE PR ACTICE OF A HEALTH 20
OCCUPATION ON AN ANI MAL BY A HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER LICENSE D, 21
CERTIFIED, OR OTHERWISE AUTHORI ZED UNDER THE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS 22
ARTICLE. 23
(2) IF THE BOARD AUTHORIZES THE PRACTICE OF A HEALTH 24
OCCUPATION ON AN ANI MAL UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE 25
BOARD MAY: 26
(I) IMPOSE REQUIREMENTS F OR EDUCATION , TRAINING, AND 27
SUPERVISION BY A VET ERINARY PRACTITIONER ; AND 28
(II) REQUIRE THE REGISTRAT ION OF EACH HEALTH C ARE 29
PRACTITIONER AUTHORI ZED TO PRACTICE A HE ALTH OCCUPATION ON AN ANI MAL 30
IN ACCORDANCE WITH T HIS SUBSECTION . 31
SENATE BILL 390 3
(B) (1) THE BOARD SHALL AUTHORIZE A VETERINARY PRACTIT IONER 1
LICENSED, CERTIFIED, OR OTHERWISE AUTHORI ZED TO PRACTICE VETE RINARY 2
MEDICINE IN ANOTHER STATE OR JURISDICTIO N TO PROVIDE ROUTINE MEDICAL 3
CARE IN THE STATE IF THE VETERINA RY PRACTITIONER : 4
(I) WILL PROVIDE THE SERV ICES TO AN ANIMAL SH ELTER, AS 5
DEFINED IN § 2–1701 OF THIS TITLE, LOCATED IN THE STATE; AND 6
(II) IS NOT OTHERWISE PROH IBITED FROM PRACTICI NG 7
VETERINARY MEDICINE DUE TO A KNOWN ETHICS OR CRIM INAL VIOLATION. 8
(2) THE ROUTINE MEDICAL C ARE PROVIDED BY A VE TERINARY 9
PRACTITIONER AUTHORI ZED TO PRACTICE VETE RINARY MEDICINE UNDE R 10
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION M AY INCLUDE: 11
(I) SPAYING AND NEUTERING ; 12
(II) VACCINATIONS; 13
(III) HEALTH EXAMINATIONS ; AND 14
(IV) COMPLETING CERTIFICAT IONS OF HEALTH . 15
Article – Health – General 16
18–313. 17
The Secretary of Health shall provide a statewide system: 18
(1) To control rabies; 19
(2) To grant authority to the public health veterinarian and the local health 20
officer in matters pertaining to the disposition of animals that bite or otherwise expose 21
rabies to an individual; 22
(3) To assist local political subdivisions regarding the laboratory testing of 23
rabid animals; 24
(4) To treat each individual who is exposed or suspected of having been 25
exposed to rabies; [and] 26
(5) To distribute, in accordance with the conditions set by the Secretary of 27
Agriculture, the biological products that are needed to prevent and treat rabies; AND 28
4 SENATE BILL 390
(6) TO ALLOW INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK IN OR FOR A VETERINARY 1
HOSPITAL, AS DEFINED IN § 2–304.1 OF THE AGRICULTURE ARTICLE, OR AN ANIMAL 2
CONTROL FACILITY , AS DEFINED IN § 2–305 OF THE AGRICULTURE ARTICLE, TO 3
ADMINISTER RABIES VA CCINES IF: 4
(I) FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WORKING I N OR FOR A VETERINAR Y 5
HOSPITAL, THE VETERINARY HOSPI TAL IS LICENSED UNDE R § 2–304.1 OF THE 6
AGRICULTURE ARTICLE; 7
(II) FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WOR KING IN OR FOR AN AN IMAL 8
CONTROL FACILITY , THE ANIMAL CONTROL F ACILITY IS LICENSED TO ADMINISTER 9
DRUGS UNDER § 2–305 OF THE AGRICULTURE ARTICLE; AND 10
(III) THE RABIES VACCINE IS ADMINISTERED IN ACCO RDANCE 11
WITH APPLICABLE PROT OCOLS FOR LICENSED V ETERINARIANS . 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
October 1, 2023. 14