The AVMA House of Delegates will consider resolutions on issues ranging from drug compounding and livestock identification to the AVMA vice presidency and veal calf confinement. Seventeen resolutions were submitted
Recent revisions to the HOD manual allow for amendments to the resolutions. Resolutions can be reworded for clarity but may not be edited to add or take away from the thoughts originally expressed by the authors.
"Now we can actually work with delegates' resolutions as opposed to [only] voting them up or down. It's a much more fluid process," said Dr. Mark Helfat, chair of the House Advisory Committee.
In the past, delegates dealt with a small number of resolutions. The increase in submissions at this year's meeting is a result of Dr. Helfat's efforts to encourage more HOD-driven initiatives.
Dr. Helfat said one of the HOD's main functions is to determine policy with regard to veterinary medicine. "We've been a little deficient in that department over the past couple years, and we need to pay more attention to this.
"I'd like to see 20 resolutions every time the House of Delegates gets together. And when you consider policy with regard to veterinary medicine, it's a wide open field out there."
Of the 17 resolutions, the AVMA Executive Board recommended approval of the following nine: Resolution 2, Veterinary Staffing of USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service; Resolution 3, Funding for Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank; Resolution 4, Increased Involvement with Veterinary Students; Resolution 6, Model Certificate of Veterinary Inspection; Resolution 7, Drug Compounding of Unapproved Mimics; Resolution 8, Livestock Identification; Resolution 9, One Health Initiative; Resolution 11, Make It a Legislative Priority for Veterinarians To Receive Equitable Pay in Public Practice Compared to Other Health Professions; and Resolution 16, Veal Calf Housing.
The board recommended disapproval of the following eight resolutions: Resolution 1, AVMA Eliminate the Position of Vice President; Resolution 5, Student Affairs Division; Resolution 10, Promotion of Research on Canine Influenza; Resolution 12, Adopt Equal Pay for Equal Work for Veterinarians and Physicians as Part of the Mandate of the One Health Initiative; Resolution 13, Commission the NCVEI to Study and Address Economic Issues Impacting Veterinarians in Public Practice and Academia; Resolution 14, Position Statement on Confinement of Calves Raised for Veal, to the Animal Welfare Committee; Resolution 15, Amend Policy on Antimicrobials in Livestock Feeds; and Resolution 17, Linking of Companion Animal Databases.
Resolutions 15, 16, and 17 were submitted late. The HOD voted by a two-thirds majority to waive the requirement for prior notification and to consider resolutions 16 and 17. However, resolution 15 did not receive the necessary number of votes and will not be considered during this HOD session.
