Bill Text: NJ A784 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires licensure for veterinary technicians.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-11 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Regulated Professions Committee [A784 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A784-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ERIK K. SIMONSEN
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Assemblyman ANTWAN L. MCCLELLAN
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
SYNOPSIS
Requires licensure for veterinary technicians.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning veterinary medicine, amending various parts of the statutory law, and supplementing chapter 16 of Title 45 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.1983, c.98 (C.45:16-1.1) is amended to read as follows:
1. As used in [this act] chapter 16 of Title 45 of the Revised Statutes:
a. "Animal or veterinary facility" means any fixed or mobile establishment, veterinary hospital, animal hospital or premises wherein or whereon the practice of veterinary medicine or any part thereof is conducted.
b. "Person" means any individual, firm, partnership, association, joint venture, cooperative, corporation incorporated under Title 14A of the New Jersey Statutes, or any other group or combination acting in concert; and whether or not acting as a principal, trustee, fiduciary, receiver, or as any other kind of legal or personal representative, or as the successor in interest, assignee, agent, factor, servant, employee, director, officer, or any other representative of any person.
c. "Qualified veterinary graduate" means a graduate of a veterinary college or university approved by the board, a graduate of a veterinary college or university which is not approved by the board, but who has received a certificate from an accrediting or qualifying body recognized by the board for the purpose of licensure examination, or a veterinarian who has qualified under the provisions of the American Veterinary Medical Association's Education Commission for the Foreign Veterinary Graduate.
d. "Veterinary technician" means a person who has been licensed by the board to practice veterinary technology.
e. "Animal care" means tasks performed under the direct supervision of a veterinarian or veterinary technician, but does not include services that require a technical understanding of veterinary medicine by a veterinarian or a veterinary technician.
f. "Veterinary assistant" means a person who is employed by an animal or veterinary facility to assist under the direct supervision of a veterinarian or a veterinary technician in tasks related to animal care.
g. "Responsible supervision" means that the supervising veterinarian has assumed full responsibility for the actions or omissions of the person being supervised.
h. "Direct supervision" means acts performed in the office of a veterinarian in the physical presence of the veterinarian pursuant to the order, control and full professional responsibility of the veterinarian.
i. "Veterinary technology" means the practice of animal care or other services that require a technical understanding of veterinary medicine by a veterinary technician.
(cf: P.L.1983, c. 98)
2. R.S.45:16-7 is amended to read as follows:
45:16-7. A person desiring to commence the practice of veterinary medicine, surgery and dentistry in this State shall deliver to the secretary of the board a fee to be determined by the board for filing the application for examination and a fee to be determined by the board for the examination, together with satisfactory proof that the applicant is a qualified veterinary graduate as defined in this act or who shall provide a certification acceptable to the board that the applicant will be awarded a degree in veterinary medicine at graduation during the academic year from the college or university the applicant attends and has passed a national licensing examination as required by the board. No applicant, however, shall be licensed prior to graduation from a veterinary college or university.
A person desiring to commence the practice of veterinary technology in this State shall deliver to the board a fee to be determined by the board for filing the application for examination and a fee to be determined by the board for the examination, together with satisfactory proof that the applicant is qualified to be licensed as veterinary technician.
(cf: P.L.2003, c.227, s.2)
3. R.S.45:16-8.1 is amended to read as follows:
45:16-8.1. a. Any person shall be regarded as practicing veterinary medicine within the meaning of this chapter, who, either directly or indirectly, diagnoses, prognoses, treats, administers, prescribes, operates on, manipulates, or applies any apparatus or appliance for any disease, pain, deformity, defect, injury, wound or physical condition of any animal, including poultry and fish, or who prevents or tests for the presence of any disease in animals, or who performs embryo transfers and related reproductive techniques, or who holds himself out as being able or legally authorized to do so.
The term "practice of veterinary medicine, surgery, and dentistry" does not include:
(1) The calling into this State for consultation of a duly licensed veterinarian of any other state with respect to any case under treatment by a veterinarian registered under the provisions of this act;
(2) The practice of veterinary medicine by any veterinarian in the performance of his official duties in the service of the State of New Jersey or the United States Government, either civil or military;
(3) The experimentation and scientific research activities of physiologists, bacteriologists, biologists, pathologists, biological chemists, chemists, or persons under the direct supervision thereof, when engaged in the study and development of methods and techniques directly or indirectly applicable to the problems of veterinary medical practice;
(4) The administration to the ills and injuries to their own animals by persons owning such animals; provided, however, that they otherwise comply with all laws, rules and regulations relative to the use of medicines and biologics used in so doing;
(5) Persons gratuitously giving aid, assistance or relief in emergency or accident cases, if they do not represent themselves to be veterinarians or use any title or degree appertaining to the practice of veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry;
(6) Any [properly trained animal health] veterinary technician or other properly trained veterinary assistant, who is under the responsible and direct supervision [and direction] of a licensed veterinarian in his practice of veterinary medicine, if the veterinary technician or veterinary assistant does not represent himself as a veterinarian or use any title or degree appertaining to the practice of veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry, and does not diagnose, prescribe, or perform surgery;
(7) Emergency paramedical services rendered during the transportation of an animal to an animal or veterinary facility, when the transportation is provided by any person providing the service for hire as a business;
(8) The care, repair and rehabilitation of wildlife species by wildlife rehabilitators under the responsible supervision of a licensed veterinarian;
(9) The undertaking of duties and actions, in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph (2) of subsection a. of R.S.45:16-9, by a student at an accredited veterinary school, if the student does not represent himself as a veterinarian or use any title or degree appertaining to the practice of veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry; and
(10) Artificial insemination.
b. A veterinary technician may, under the responsible supervision of a veterinarian, perform any task for which the technician has been trained as delineated in the American Veterinary Medical Association's essential task list for veterinary technician teaching programs.
(cf: P.L.2013, c.122, s.1)
4. (New section) a. An applicant for a veterinary technician license shall submit to the board:
(1) an application on the form prescribed by the board;
(2) information to enable the board to conduct a criminal history background check if required by the board; and
(3) any other information required by the board.
b. The board shall issue a veterinary technician license to an applicant if the applicant:
(1) passes the veterinary technician National Examination, or any other examination as required by the board;
(2) is at least 18 years of age; and
(3) has graduated from a college level program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
5. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month next following enactment, except that the board may take such action in advance of the effective date as shall be necessary to implement provisions of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill regulates the practice of veterinary technicians.
Under the bill, veterinary technology is the practice of animal care or other services that require a technical understanding of veterinary medicine by a veterinary technician.
The bill requires a person desiring to commence the practice of veterinary technology in this State to deliver to the board a fee to be determined by the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners for the examination, together with satisfactory proof that the applicant is a qualified veterinary technician.
The bill also amends statutory law to allow veterinary technicians, under the responsible supervision of a licensed veterinarian, to perform any task for which the technician has been trained as delineated in the American Veterinary Medical Association's essential talks list for veterinary technician teaching programs.
The bill requires a veterinary technician applying for a license to submit to the board: (1) an application on the form prescribed by the board; (2) information to enable the board to conduct a criminal background check if required by the board; and (3) any other information required by the board. The bill further requires the board to issue a license to a veterinary technician, if the person: passes the veterinary technician National Examination, or any other examination as required by the board; is at least 18 years of age; and has graduated from a college level program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
