Board staff outlines implementation steps after five veterinary-related bills signed by governor

The California Veterinary Medical Board received an update October 22 on five bills enacted in 2025 and outlined an implementation plan that includes newsletters, regulation reviews and minor coding changes to licensing applications.

Board staff said the measures signed by the governor will affect scope-of-practice, premises rules and the board's own composition and operations. "The board will create and post a newsletter going over the impacts of this bill," staff said for several measures, and staff described regulatory actions they will review or pursue to align existing regulations with the new statutes.

Why it matters: the bills change who may lawfully perform certain veterinary tasks, preserve some local restrictions on declawing, and extend the board's statutory authority and membership structure through 2030. The board must also make several regulatory and administrative changes to implement those statutory changes.

Key provisions and board implementation notes

- AB 516: Staff said the bill authorizes registered veterinary technicians (RVTs) and veterinary assistants to perform specified animal health care services when not prohibited by law and when performed under veterinary supervision, and permits such care in animal shelters under a veterinarian's order. It also authorizes RVTs to perform dental procedures, including tooth extractions,…