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GA HB956
Bill
Status
Passed
5/8/2018
Primary Sponsor
Clay Pirkle
Click for details
AI Summary
- Requires law enforcement to consult with a licensed Category II veterinarian employed by the Department of Agriculture before filing criminal animal cruelty charges involving food animal husbandry, to confirm whether conduct aligns with customary and standard practice
- Comprehensively rewrites the Georgia Veterinary Practice Act (Chapter 50 of Title 43), updating and expanding definitions, adding new terms such as "informed consent," "veterinary feed directive," "mobile veterinary clinic," "extralabel use," and "complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies"
- Changes veterinary technicians from a registration-based system to a licensure-based system, establishes a new "veterinary assistant" role with more limited scope (prohibited from inducing anesthesia, nonemergency intubation, and certain catheterization procedures), and removes prior numerical caps on the ratio of technicians to veterinarians
- Adds numerous exemptions from veterinary licensing requirements, including for veterinarians licensed in other states serving as volunteer health practitioners during declared emergencies, out-of-state veterinarians temporarily practicing at Georgia institutions of higher learning (up to six months), and animal shelter employees acting under veterinary supervision with written protocols
- Grants the State Board of Veterinary Medicine new authority to inspect veterinary premises and mobile clinics, establish facility and equipment standards, publish annual fee schedules, and issue temporary licenses to military spouses and transitioning service members
Legislative Description
Georgia Veterinary Practice Act; enact
Last Action
Effective Date
7/1/2018
Full Bill Text
No bill text available