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Board discusses proposed bill to allow certified animal chiropractic with registration; veterinary group urges opposition
Summary
The Board discussed draft legislation that would allow certified animal chiropractors direct access under a BCE registration; the California Veterinary Medical Association said it will strongly oppose any effort that it sees as encroaching on veterinary scope.
The Board considered a draft legislative proposal provided by the author’s office that would allow certified practitioners to provide animal chiropractic with direct access and require the Board of Chiropractic Examiners to register and oversee those certified animal chiropractors.
Staff described the background: the veterinary medical board regulates veterinary medicine; chiropractic stakeholders requested BCE authority for animal chiropractic and engaged the author’s office. The author’s office shared draft language the board included in the meeting materials; the bill had not yet been formally introduced but is expected. Staff asked for a board policy discussion to provide early feedback for the author and to identify issues BCE should study if the bill is introduced.
Key discussion points: Board members and staff noted several considerations: (1) statutory authority and which agency should regulate animal practice, (2) whether registration or a new license type would be required and how to set standards, (3) the need to define minimum certification hours and curricula (some stakeholders referenced programs in the 200–300 hour range and specialty diplomate tracks at higher hour counts), (4) potential collaboration with the Veterinary Medical Board to clarify overlapping scope and complaint-handling, and (5) fiscal and IT costs to create a registration type and to stand up enforcement capacity and expert consultants.
Public comment: The California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) submitted and spoke to a written comment opposing any effort to expand chiropractic scope into veterinary practice, saying the draft creates a new practice domain without a sufficient formal body of knowledge and stating it would strongly oppose legislation that it views as an infringement on veterinary scope. Several proponents (identified in the transcript as an animal chiropractic supporter and representatives of certification bodies) told the board they view certifications as robust and offered to provide additional information about curricula.
What the board did: The board did not take a formal position. Members asked staff to continue engagement with the Veterinary Medical Board and the author’s office, and several board members suggested the board would expect a clear definition of standards, an accreditation or minimum-hour threshold and specified oversight if the bill is introduced. Staff said it would return further guidance and fiscal estimates if the author moves the draft into an introduced bill.
Ending: The board agreed to continue monitoring and to provide policy feedback to staff and the author’s office as the proposal evolves; no formal vote or endorsement occurred at the Feb. 13 meeting.
