Chiropractors: animal chiropractic practitioners.

Senator Ochoa Bogh's legislation establishes a regulatory framework for chiropractors who treat animals in California, creating a new registration category of "animal chiropractic practitioners" under the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners' oversight. The bill requires chiropractors to obtain specialized certification from approved organizations and register with the board before providing chiropractic care to animals without veterinary supervision.

The legislation outlines specific practice requirements for registered animal chiropractic practitioners. Practitioners must obtain signed consent forms from animal owners acknowledging that chiropractic treatment serves as a complementary therapy to traditional veterinary care. The forms must document whether the animal has received veterinary care within the past year and any relevant medical diagnoses. Practitioners must maintain medical records for three years and provide them to veterinarians upon request.

The board will maintain a public registry of qualified practitioners and may adopt additional regulations in consultation with the Veterinary Medical Board, particularly regarding standards of animal care. While the bill exempts registered practitioners from the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, it explicitly states that veterinarians bear no liability for the actions of animal chiropractic practitioners. Chiropractors may continue providing animal care under direct veterinary supervision without obtaining the new registration.