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Posted 14 March 2007
View legislative update (PDF)
March continues to be a busy time for state legislatures and state VMA lobbying activities. While bills are still being introduced in some states, others are moving briskly through the legislative process and are near a final disposition. Among the new bills introduced recently:
- Arkansas legislation would allow veterinarians a lien for their services where a client does not pay within 10 days after demand for payment.
- Colorado HB 1296 proposes broad exemptions from the Veterinary Practice Act for persons who provide humane care to animals and act with consent of the owner.
- Minnesota bills would exempt animal husbandry, artificial insemination, teeth floating, farriery, and animal chiropractic and massage from the definition of veterinary medicine.
- Texas legislation would authorize the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners to regulate veterinary dental techs and approve their educational programs.
- Colorado legislation would permit compounding pharmacies to sell an unlimited amount of compounded drugs while authorizing the Board of Pharmacy to promulgate rules governing compounding.
- Horse slaughter prohibition legislation was introduced in Illinois, home of the Cavel International plant. On the other hand, Texas legislators introduced a bill that would allow the sale of horsemeat for human consumption to other countries. The measure is in response to a recent court decision upholding a 1949 Texas state law banning the sale of such horsemeat.
- Bills proposing recovery for noneconomic damages such as emotional distress and loss of companionship, arising from an injury or death of a companion animal, were introduced in New York and Rhode Island. A similar bill died in committee in Hawaii.
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour signed legislation extending the veterinary license issued to any member of the Mississippi National Guard or the U.S. Armed Forces Reserves while the person is serving on federal active duty.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson signed a law banning cockfighting, leaving Louisiana alone in allowing the controversial sport to remain legal.
The Arizona Veterinary Medical Examining Board approved final regulations for licensing animal crematoriums. The New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food issued a rule that veterinarians must file a request with the state veterinarian prior to docking any horse's tail, and tail docking is permitted only where medically necessary and where the horse is used for drafting purposes thereafter.
In this month's court watch, a New Jersey appellate court unanimously rejected a lawsuit filed by a coalition of animal rights and food safety groups to block the state's standards for humane treatment of farm animals. The groups alleged that the regulations allowed inhumane practices such as trimming the tails of dairy cows to facilitate milking, confining pregnant sows and veal calves in crates, force-feeding ducks to produce foie gras, and transporting emaciated or downed animals to slaughter for human food. According to the state veterinarian, federal law prohibits slaughtering downed cows; trimming cow tails is done only occasionally; there are no veal-raising operations in New Jersey; and no foie gras is currently produced in the state.
Fans of sports, law and animals all may be interested in a recent report that Ron Artest, the Sacramento Kings star forward, was under criminal investigation on suspicion of animal cruelty last month. Animal control officers took custody of Artest's black-and-white female Great Dane to be treated by a veterinarian. Neighbors said the dog is often left alone in the yard for months at a time without food and water. If convicted, Artest could face a fine of up to $20,000.
The following link takes you to the latest chart of significant pending bills and regulations from around the country.
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