House agriculture committee advances bill to set rules for veterinary professional associates after hours of testimony

The House Agriculture Committee voted 11‑1 to send House Bill 12‑85 — legislation to create statutory guardrails for the new veterinary professional associate (VPA) role established by Proposition 129 — to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation. Representative Lisa McCormick, the bill sponsor, moved the bill after adopting five committee amendments that tightened supervision language, added an accreditation timeline and set a maximum supervisor-to‑VPA ratio.

Supporters told the committee the bill provides necessary consumer protections and workplace standards to make the VPA role safe and practical. “The VPA will be able to practice veterinary medicine within their scope, but we need clear guardrails so veterinarians can safely delegate and patients receive consistent care,” said Dr. Jennifer Bolster, chief clinic veterinarian at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. Proponents highlighted three policy areas: establishing supervisory agreements between veterinarians and VPAs, requiring national accreditation and competency testing for VPA programs, and clarifying the veterinarian‑client‑patient relationship (VCPR) for prescribing and delegation.

Opponents, including Humane Colorado and officials from the Division of Regulatory Agencies (DORA)…