HB563 Summary

• Prohibits any person other than a licensed veterinarian from directly supervising veterinary medical services or making decisions relating to medical or surgical treatment of animals, including decisions about the number of surgical procedures per day or staffing levels.

• Defines "spay neuter clinic" as a limited service veterinary facility where patients cannot stay more than 36 hours, offering only spay/neuter services plus one-year rabies vaccinations and parasite treatment at time of surgery.

• Exempts licensed veterinarians employed by nonprofit, tax-exempt spay neuter clinics (501(c)(3) entities) from prohibitions against practicing veterinary medicine as an employee of an unlicensed entity.

• Requires spay neuter clinics to obtain premise permits, meet the same physical requirements and minimum standards as other veterinary facilities, maintain detailed patient medical records, and maintain service contracts with full-service veterinary facilities for emergency and after-hours care.

• Upon animal discharge, spay neuter clinics must provide owners with contact information for emergency backup facility, a copy of patient medical records, and discharge instructions.