[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6572269,"mediaKeyId","3086081-d3aa0f4f2b27c8d93b88bc615c74adc7","parentId",3086081,"title","MDC approves rulemaking to tighten RVT alternate-pathway education and accept out-of-state supervised hours","audioSeconds",5737,"startMs",3960000,"endMs",9697000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3086081-d3aa0f4f2b27c8d93b88bc615c74adc7&start=3960&end=9697","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3086081-d3aa0f4f2b27c8d93b88bc615c74adc7/thumbnail_3960000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6572269/California/MDC-approves-rulemaking-to-tighten-RVT-alternate-pathway-education-and-accept-out-of-state-supervised-hours","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6572269-2e7b34c7ba91e6aac37327b83b181b66/orig.mp4?Expires=1775791307&Signature=AlIrFUuXCPAjoyB5UTr2BCrJKlrIBnXq17fj6Xcqra8-EfeegceJDlmdW5Ug0ypf~YkchdkGHO5P8lQOd2cpfWTGQ-hk7wpKhKFjYRaZIM4PnKJ3nD-Cfsh8ZgxRz-rADA0KeCkqbSTYoZiDurShYNfbgEeWBg8Zv3if4mwI0cyItsK~ftzJ1~FVcCUA~wkl5VJjuQRss41pX83GpIuanyXgsOwfkbgmJd4sO2rGsYqPvdyKZ0EDqps-OQzQdTrNTwizLnonNysuy-Kb8bjSZqlM07t5Wtnv0-5kYsSGX9HCSWzEuzqmqYPi51l30cqtabpcgIDoUc4U7aVsrvsSvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Respiratory Care Board of California","date","2025-04-22T19:18:55.393Z","article","The Medical Director Committee (MDC) voted to advance regulatory changes to the Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) alternate pathway, directing staff to initiate rulemaking and submit proposed language to the Department of Consumer Affairs for review.

The amendments approved by the MDC would (1) eliminate the provision that allowed a “qualified instructor” (as defined in the current regulation) to substitute for postsecondary education in the alternate route; (2) lower the required directed clinical-practice hours for the combined education-and-experience pathway from 4,416 hours to 2,500 hours; (3) allow clinical-practice hours completed in other U.S. states, territories or Canadian provinces under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian to count toward the California requirement; and (4) permit supervising veterinarians to attest only to the categories of knowledge, skills, and abilities they personally supervised rather than signing a lengthy task checklist.

Why it matters: the changes are intended to preserve a rigorous alternate pathway while addressing practical barriers applicants face and modernizing documentation. Committee members said the 4,416-hour requirement was onerous and could be punitive to applicants balancing work and family responsibilities; the 2,500-hour figure mirrors a change adopted earlier for out-of-state veterinarian licensure and was proposed to reduce the barrier while maintaining experience standards.

Key provisions and discussion
- Education source: The committee recommended requiring postsecondary academic institutions (including approved private postsecondary programs) to provide the classroom portion; the “qualified instructor” route that relied on ad-hoc instructors or piecemeal CE certificates would be removed because board staff and the subcommittee reported that the provision had been exploited—applicants submitting continuing-education certificates or internally issued training to meet education requirements.
- Clinical hours and supervisor licensing: The committee discussed three options for how to treat the supervising veterinarian and the site of clinical hours. By consensus the MDC selected an approach allowing clinical hours completed in any U.S. state or territory or Canadian province under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian (option 3, a combined approach), a path intended to remove unnecessary barriers for out-of-state applicants while limiting acceptance of foreign-country practice experience where standards may differ.
- Supervising-veterinarian attestations: The committee recommended removing the detailed task checklist currently used informally and instead requiring a supervising veterinarian to attest to proficiency in the broader category headings listed in the regulation (client communication, exams, emergency procedures, lab work, imaging, surgical assisting, anesthesia, nursing, nutrition, dentistry, behavior, pharmacology). The revised language would allow supervisors to attest to the categories they directly oversaw.
- Proof of education: staff recommended that proof of completion of the educational component be sent directly to the board by the postsecondary institution or by AAVSB (as applicable) to reduce risk of altered documents; if the Legislature adopts a statutory change in the board’s sunset bill, the regulation provision would be unnecessary and removed.

Public comment and stakeholder input
Grant Miller, regulatory director at the California Veterinary Medical Association, urged the committee not to eliminate a skills checklist altogether and suggested aligning any checklist with the CVTEA (AVMA accreditation) skill/proficiency list so the alternate pathway produces graduates comparable to accredited programs. Panelists and commenters cautioned that clinical experience varies by practice and species and that supervisors might not observe all listed tasks; the committee opted for broader categories and supervisor attestations instead of a prescriptive, item-by-item checklist.

Vote and next steps
The MDC moved to approve the regulatory text in Attachment 1 as revised and to choose option 3 for the supervising-veterinarian/clinical-practice portion. The motion passed on roll-call vote. Staff were directed to submit the package to the Department of Consumer Affairs and to proceed with rulemaking steps (public notice, 45-day comment period), with technical edits allowed by the executive officer.

The changes will follow the rulemaking timeline; if successful, they will modify the path for alternate-route RVT applicants and clarify documentation and supervision expectations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Veterinary Medical Board - Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee Meeting-April 15, 2025 - 1 of 2","oneSentenceSummary","The Medical Director Committee voted to advance regulatory amendments to CCR Title 16 §2068.5 to modernize the RVT alternate path: removing the ad-hoc “qualified instructor” route, reducing required clinical hours to 2,500 and allowing clinical hours supervised in U.S. states, territories or Canadian provinces.","taxTitle","Respiratory Care Board of California, Boards and Commissions, Executive, California","taxId",76751,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6572274,"Veterinary subcommittee recommends narrowing owner-exemption, asks Legislature to act",6997,811000,7808000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3086081-d3aa0f4f2b27c8d93b88bc615c74adc7&start=811&end=7808","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3086081-d3aa0f4f2b27c8d93b88bc615c74adc7/thumbnail_811000.jpg","/articles/6572274/California/Veterinary-subcommittee-recommends-narrowing-owner-exemption-asks-Legislature-to-act","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6572274-a6145c895aa5f1e0ac81cc1c90b056b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1775791307&Signature=nelQhCAdwtJVXETxcRS-m5sKCY8yKNOz-~jNaORBBpC2ioQ6kRxEOKK1rpoatdpRZpJQK3dbHcnfqQbWRduw6tseZJ9EDortXsYMVZmV2GMbYCKbVY455NPFthMqMG6UTitj1~sIfBXaEw3~rroOQW4TqBTpB7oUaE~M-o1cHr7im-8J71xBANFgS~QC7o9aKMNHT~hP4ohnygNUtcFyvZRn4qbvuWuzbXSf0Tcw1GygSnHu6OI4YfFill5kZpqSG9eiPQk49~W2T1XU1wdOEKd~MHIOCw4kvrrnaaJ3Qfvs4SZKf7zRPGF27zVuxd8Ijw99IpsIvZxKgLIUQdH2HA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Medical Director Committee (MDC) of the California Veterinary Medical Board voted to recommend that the full board forward a legislative proposal to amend Business and Professions Code (BPC) sections 4825.1 and 4827 to the California State Legislature, the committee said during a public meeting.

The proposal, as amended at the meeting, would narrow the owner-exemption in BPC §4827 to reduce opportunities for unlicensed individuals and groups to perform veterinary services that the board says have led to consumer harm. The MDC also accepted edits tying accepted written protocols to accredited veterinary programs or recognized shelter-medicine publications and retained equine-related language in the current statute rather than removing it.

The change matters because the board reported it has received repeated complaints about unlicensed practice in multiple settings — rescue groups and shelters, equine events and polo clubs, and in some food-animal operations — and the committee was asked to craft clearer statutory language to allow enforcement on the specific activities staff and veterinarians have flagged.

Board staff and committee members summarized the subcommittee’s months-long outreach: March 10 stakeholder calls with food-animal practitioners, rescue and shelter medicine experts (including a presentation by Dr. Kate Hurley of UC Davis’ shelter medicine program), representatives of polo clubs, and the California Cattlemen’s Association. Participants described different drivers of unlicensed practice: lack of access to veterinarians in some regions and sectors, economic pressure, and the tendency for trained nonveterinarians to start paid services. Some food-animal stakeholders supported keeping equine reproductive services separate from livestock in parts of the draft; shelter medicine representatives pressed to preserve some operational flexibility for rescues.

Committee members and staff discussed specific draft changes shown to the MDC in the meeting packet. Key edits accepted at the meeting included:
- Clarifying that written protocols for shelters or rescue groups may be derived from an AVMA-accredited veterinary medical program or an established state or national veterinary shelter-medicine publication (committee discussion referenced the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ guidelines).
- Tightening language about who may rely on written treatment protocols and linking prescription administration to a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) in the drafted text.
- Leaving the existing statutory language that references equine practices in place rather than striking ‘equine’ from the livestock/food-animal exemption.

Several witnesses and stakeholders gave public comment. Grant Miller, regulatory director for the California Veterinary Medical Association, urged the committee to reference national shelter-medicine guidance (noting the Association of Shelter Veterinarians publication) if the board wants a stable, up-to-date resource. Rescue- and sanctuary-affiliated commenters asked the MDC to consider how sanctuaries and rescue groups would be treated under the draft and urged care not to reduce necessary on‑site services for animals in constrained settings.

Committee members discussed alternatives to narrowing the owner-exemption, including an approach that keeps the exemption but lists specific prohibited activities (for example, surgery, insemination, dental surgery) that would not be covered by the exemption. Members expressed concern that an overly broad prohibition could unintentionally curtail legitimate animal-husbandry practices and that lists may fail to capture future problem activities.

After discussion and a brief recess for staff drafting, the MDC voted on a motion to recommend the board submit the legislative proposal as amended at the meeting (the motion included the edits described above and specifically noted that the committee would not strike equine from the existing language). The motion passed on a roll-call vote. The committee’s action sends the board a recommended bill package and directs staff to prepare the formal materials for legislative submission.

The draft will proceed through the board and, if the board concurs, move to the Legislature; the committee emphasized that stakeholder input will continue as the text is finalized.

Sources for this article are the committee discussion and public comment recorded during the MDC meeting on the unlicensed-practice item and the legislative-draft materials shown on screen.","The Veterinary Medical Board's MDC voted to recommend a legislative proposal to narrow the owner-exemption in Business and Professions Code §4827 after months of stakeholder meetings that highlighted unlicensed veterinary activity in rescues, equine events and food-animal operations.","actionData","errors"]

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MDC approves rulemaking to tighten RVT alternate-pathway education and accept out-of-state supervised hours

Veterinary subcommittee recommends narrowing owner-exemption, asks Legislature to act