Officer election changes, dues increase among proposals going before HOD

The AVMA Board of Directors (BOD) has referred newly proposed or revised policies, revised rules for office election campaigns, and a request for a dues increase to the AVMA House of Delegates (HOD) for deliberation.

Delegates will consider these resolutions during their regular winter session, which will be held January 10-11, 2025, in Chicago in conjunction with the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference.

The policy-related resolutions first came from AVMA entities and from organizations within the HOD, including those dealing with evidence-based biosecurity and cellular agriculture.

Member dues increase

A proposal for a member dues increase was drafted by the Board during its November 13-15 meeting. If approved by the House, a $20 dues increase would happen in 2026 followed by $15 annual dues increases from 2027-30.

The HOD last approved a dues increase in 2019 that allowed for a $30 increase in 2020, followed by optional $10 increases in both 2021 and 2022. However, the $10 increase was only implemented in 2022, a decision that reflected the AVMA’s commitment to fiscal responsibility.

The Budget and Financial Review Committee (BFRC) put forth the proposal at its October meeting. Committee members discussed with AVMA staff members the history of dues increases, the need for an increase, and the impact to members and the Association.

Dr. Jon Pennell, AVMA treasurer, said, “We provided figures on where we’d be without a dues increase. We always strive to provide more value to (members), but that costs money. The BFRC felt this was the best option of those presented.”

For the coming year, the Board approved a $58 million budget.

AVMA policies

The Board also approved forwarding the following AVMA policies to the HOD with recommendations for approval or adoption: a revised policy on “Removal of Antlers (Velveting)”; a revised policy on “Integrative Veterinary Medicine”; a new policy on “License by Endorsement”; and revised policy on “Guidelines for Pet Ownership.”

The Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) explained in its recommendation to revise the policy on antler removal that it believes the policy should be updated to reflect that the practice of velveting, when performed for a nontherapeutic purpose, is not beneficial to the animal and should be discouraged.

“Products from the velveting process are used to produce a supplement for human use. The residue status of products from velveting, when appropriate pain management is used, is unknown and the AWC recognizes the need for research in this area to ensure safety,” the committee wrote.

The Council on Veterinary Service (CoVS) is recommending that the policy on “Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Veterinary Medicine” be shortened to simply state that these modalities should be held to the same standards as traditional medical therapies. It would then refer to the Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics and Model Veterinary Practice Act for additional information on standards.

The CoVS’s recommendation for a proposed new policy on “License by Endorsement” says, in part, that “The AVMA recognizes the need for mobility of the veterinary workforce and encourages state authorities to adopt legislation and regulations that improve licensing portability, while protecting animal and public health.”

“The CoVS has been working to provide further clarity on options for lowering unnecessary barriers to licensure in multiple states. The CoVS believes a stand-alone policy on license by endorsement could assist,” the council stated in the recommendation background.

Revisions to the policy on “Guidelines for Pet Ownership” were recommended by the Steering Committee on Human-Animal Interactions. The committee wrote in its comments to the Board that significant effort was taken to adjust the tone of the policy to focus on how veterinarians can help pet owners across all income levels, cultures, and communities optimize care for their animals through comprehensive education and reducing barriers to obtaining that care.

Part of the revised policy now states: “The AVMA encourages pet owners to invest appropriate planning and resources in pet care to maximize the mutually beneficial relationship that is the human-animal bond.”

Further resolutions

In summer 2023, the House Advisory Committee appointed a working group to review the election process for AVMA president-elect and vice president, both elected by the HOD. The HAC did this in response to discussion about the proposed HOD Manual revisions at the HOD regular annual session that year.

The current version of the rules for officer candidates covers eligibility to run, the campaign schedule, travel expenses, and violations of the rules. The proposed version of the rules covers eligibility; campaign; candidate webpage; expenses, funding, and reimbursement; influence and endorsements; campaign monitoring; and enforcement of the rules. The new version also would add guidelines on the use of social media.

Among the proposed rules are the following:

• There is a spending cap of $10,000 for all candidate campaigns.
• Influence and endorsements from anyone other than AVMA members in good standing should be declined and reported to the AVMA Office of the Executive Vice President.
• Candidates are strongly encouraged to engage in virtual visits rather than in-person meetings.
• Campaigning should be directed towards HOD members and the state and allied VMAs to which they belong.
• Candidates will receive an orientation to campaigning around the time they announce their candidacy.

If passed, these changes would take effect after the close of the HOD’s regular annual session this coming July. The Board recommended approval.

Eleven state VMAs and allied organizations submitted a resolution regarding a new policy on “Evidence-Based Biosecurity.”

The proposed policy states, in part: “Diseases of animals can be transmitted in many ways, including direct routes (live animals) and indirect routes, such as contaminated fomites, aerosols, and feed. Because of these many risks, prevention of disease transmission through the practice of biosecurity is critical to protecting the health and welfare of all species.”

Those who submitted the resolution say they did so in response to multiple viral diseases across the globe that are affecting herds, flocks, companion animals, and exotic wildlife populations, including porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and African swine fever virus in pigs, along with highly pathogenic avian influenza infection in multiple avian and mammalian species, including humans.

The Board recommended that the HOD approve the resolution.

Finally, the Massachusetts VMA (MVMA) put forth a resolution asking the House to adopt a new policy on “The Role of Veterinary Medicine in Advancing Cellular Agriculture for Food Security and Animal Welfare.”

The MVMA wrote in the resolution background that “The MVMA recognizes that cellular agriculture significantly advances ethical and sustainable food production. This resolution aligns with the AVMA’s commitment to advancing veterinary science and practice in the context of emerging technologies and environmental challenges.”

Part of the proposed new policy states: “The advent of cellular agriculture, which includes precision fermentation and cultivated cell-based methods, presents a transformative opportunity to meet these critical objectives. This technology enables the production of animal-derived foods and products without the need for conventional animal agriculture, thus mitigating its associated environmental impacts, reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases, antibiotic resistance, and advancing humane treatment standards.”

The Board made no recommendation on this resolution.