AB-516
Health & Public Health

Registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants: scope of practice.

Enrolled
CA
2025-2026 Regular Session
0
0
Track

Key Takeaways

  • Expands the scope of practice for veterinary technicians and assistants to perform more animal health services.
  • Authorizes veterinary technicians to perform dental procedures including tooth extractions under supervision.
  • Allows veterinary staff to provide care in animal shelters under remote veterinarian orders.
  • Permits veterinary technicians to independently obtain and purchase euthanasia drugs.

Summary

Assembly Member Kalra's veterinary care legislation expands the scope of practice for registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in California, authorizing them to perform any animal health care services not explicitly prohibited by law when supervised by a licensed veterinarian.

The measure establishes new protocols for animal care in shelter settings, allowing both veterinary technicians and assistants to treat animals in public and private shelters, humane societies, and animal welfare organizations under a veterinarian's direct, written, or telephonic order. These orders must specify assessment timeframes, treatment protocols for common conditions, disease control measures, pain management guidelines, communication requirements, and euthanasia criteria for medical cases. The bill also permits registered veterinary technicians to perform dental procedures, including tooth extractions, under veterinary supervision.

Additional provisions allow registered veterinary technicians to apply directly to the Drug Enforcement Administration for authorization to purchase sodium pentobarbital for euthanasia procedures without requiring case-by-case veterinary approval. The legislation also enables these technicians to serve as agents of supervising veterinarians in establishing veterinarian-client-patient relationships when administering preventive vaccines and medications for parasite control.

Key Dates

Vote on Assembly Floor
Assembly Floor
Vote on Assembly Floor
AB 516 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate Floor
Vote on Senate Floor
Assembly 3rd Reading AB516 Kalra et al. By Cortese
Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Hearing
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Vote on Assembly Floor
Assembly Floor
Vote on Assembly Floor
AB 516 Kalra Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Assembly Appropriations Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Appropriations Hearing
Do pass. To Consent Calendar
Assembly Business And Professions Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Business And Professions Hearing
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Introduced
Assembly Floor
Introduced
Read first time. To print.

Contacts

Profile
Ash KalraD
Assemblymember
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Dave CorteseD
Senator
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Joe PattersonR
Assemblymember
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
0 of 3 row(s) selected.
Page 1 of 1
Select All Legislators
Profile
Ash KalraD
Assemblymember
Bill Author
Profile
Dave CorteseD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Joe PattersonR
Assemblymember
Bill Author

Similar Past Legislation

Bill NumberTitleIntroduced DateStatusLink to Bill
AB-2133
Veterinary medicine: registered veterinary technicians.
February 2024
Failed
Showing 1 of 1 items
Page 1 of 1

Get Involved

Act Now!

Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

Introduced By

Ash Kalra
Ash KalraD
California State Assembly Member
Co-Authors
Dave Cortese
Dave CorteseD
California State Senator
Joe Patterson
Joe PattersonR
California State Assembly Member
70% progression
Bill has passed both houses in identical form and is being prepared for the Governor (9/3/2025)

Latest Voting History

September 3, 2025
PASS
Assembly Floor
Vote on Assembly Floor
AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
770279PASS

Key Takeaways

  • Expands the scope of practice for veterinary technicians and assistants to perform more animal health services.
  • Authorizes veterinary technicians to perform dental procedures including tooth extractions under supervision.
  • Allows veterinary staff to provide care in animal shelters under remote veterinarian orders.
  • Permits veterinary technicians to independently obtain and purchase euthanasia drugs.

Get Involved

Act Now!

Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

Introduced By

Ash Kalra
Ash KalraD
California State Assembly Member
Co-Authors
Dave Cortese
Dave CorteseD
California State Senator
Joe Patterson
Joe PattersonR
California State Assembly Member

Summary

Assembly Member Kalra's veterinary care legislation expands the scope of practice for registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in California, authorizing them to perform any animal health care services not explicitly prohibited by law when supervised by a licensed veterinarian.

The measure establishes new protocols for animal care in shelter settings, allowing both veterinary technicians and assistants to treat animals in public and private shelters, humane societies, and animal welfare organizations under a veterinarian's direct, written, or telephonic order. These orders must specify assessment timeframes, treatment protocols for common conditions, disease control measures, pain management guidelines, communication requirements, and euthanasia criteria for medical cases. The bill also permits registered veterinary technicians to perform dental procedures, including tooth extractions, under veterinary supervision.

Additional provisions allow registered veterinary technicians to apply directly to the Drug Enforcement Administration for authorization to purchase sodium pentobarbital for euthanasia procedures without requiring case-by-case veterinary approval. The legislation also enables these technicians to serve as agents of supervising veterinarians in establishing veterinarian-client-patient relationships when administering preventive vaccines and medications for parasite control.

70% progression
Bill has passed both houses in identical form and is being prepared for the Governor (9/3/2025)

Key Dates

Vote on Assembly Floor
Assembly Floor
Vote on Assembly Floor
AB 516 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate Floor
Vote on Senate Floor
Assembly 3rd Reading AB516 Kalra et al. By Cortese
Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Hearing
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Vote on Assembly Floor
Assembly Floor
Vote on Assembly Floor
AB 516 Kalra Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Assembly Appropriations Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Appropriations Hearing
Do pass. To Consent Calendar
Assembly Business And Professions Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Business And Professions Hearing
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Introduced
Assembly Floor
Introduced
Read first time. To print.

Latest Voting History

September 3, 2025
PASS
Assembly Floor
Vote on Assembly Floor
AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
770279PASS

Contacts

Profile
Ash KalraD
Assemblymember
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Dave CorteseD
Senator
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Joe PattersonR
Assemblymember
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
0 of 3 row(s) selected.
Page 1 of 1
Select All Legislators
Profile
Ash KalraD
Assemblymember
Bill Author
Profile
Dave CorteseD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Joe PattersonR
Assemblymember
Bill Author

Similar Past Legislation

Bill NumberTitleIntroduced DateStatusLink to Bill
AB-2133
Veterinary medicine: registered veterinary technicians.
February 2024
Failed
Showing 1 of 1 items
Page 1 of 1