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Bill would allow trained non‑veterinarians to perform cattle pregnancy checks; vets warn of disease‑surveillance risks
Summary
SB 1539 would let trained, non‑veterinary technicians perform cattle pregnancy verification and move rulemaking to the Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board under a proposed -1 amendment. Farmers and industry groups supported the measure as a response to rural veterinarian shortages; veterinary associations and clinicians warned it could weaken the veterinarian‑client‑patient relationship and reduce disease detection and reporting.
Senator Nash, the bill sponsor, said SB 1539 responds to a statewide shortage of large‑animal veterinarians and would legalize practices already performed by many ranchers and technicians. "We have a shortage of large animal veterinarians throughout the state," Nash said, and argued trained technicians could free veterinarians to focus on treatments that require licensed clinical care.
Supporters from the agricultural sector told the committee they face long waits for vet services in…
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