Registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants: scope of practice.

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.