Requires licensure for veterinary technicians.

A1427

ASSEMBLY, No. 1427

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ERIK K. SIMONSEN

District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)

Assemblyman ANTWAN L. MCCLELLAN

District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires licensure for veterinary technicians.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

concerning veterinary medicine, amending various
parts of the statutory law, and supplementing chapter 16 of Title 45 of the
Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.1983,
c.98 (C.45:16-1.1) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1.��� As used in
[
this act
]

chapter 16
of Title 45 of the Revised Statutes
:

���� a.���� "Animal or
veterinary facility" means any fixed or mobile establishment, veterinary
hospital, animal hospital or premises wherein or whereon the practice of
veterinary medicine or any part thereof is conducted.

���� b.��� "Person" means
any individual, firm, partnership, association, joint venture, cooperative,
corporation incorporated under Title 14A of the New Jersey Statutes, or any
other group or combination acting in concert; and whether or not acting as a principal,
trustee, fiduciary, receiver, or as any other kind of legal or personal
representative, or as the successor in interest, assignee, agent, factor,
servant, employee, director, officer, or any other representative of any
person.

���� c.���� "Qualified
veterinary graduate"� means a graduate of a veterinary college or
university approved by the board, a graduate of a veterinary college� or
university which is not approved by the board, but who has received a�
certificate from an accrediting or qualifying body recognized by the board for�
the purpose of licensure examination, or a veterinarian who has qualified
under� the provisions of the American Veterinary Medical Association's
Education� Commission for the Foreign Veterinary Graduate.

����
d.��� �Veterinary
technician� means a person who has been licensed by the board to practice
veterinary technology.

����
e.���� �Animal care� means
tasks performed under the direct supervision of a veterinarian or veterinary
technician, but does not include services that require a technical
understanding of veterinary medicine by a veterinarian or a veterinary
technician.�

����
f.���� �Veterinary
assistant� means a person who is employed by an animal or veterinary facility
to assist under the direct supervision of a veterinarian or a veterinary
technician in tasks related to animal care.

����
g.��� �Responsible supervision�
means that the supervising veterinarian has assumed full responsibility for the
actions or omissions of the person being supervised.

����
h.��� �Direct supervision�
means acts performed in the office of a veterinarian in the physical presence
of the veterinarian pursuant to the order, control and full professional
responsibility of the veterinarian.

����
i.���� �Veterinary
technology� means the practice of animal care or other services that require a
technical understanding of veterinary medicine by a veterinary technician.

(cf: P.L.1983, c. 98)

���� 2.��� R.S.45:16-7 is amended
to read as follows:

���� 45:16-7. A person desiring to
commence the practice of veterinary medicine, surgery and dentistry in this
State shall deliver to the secretary of the board a fee to be determined by the
board for filing the application for examination and a fee to be determined by
the board for the examination, together with satisfactory proof that the
applicant is a qualified veterinary graduate as defined in this act or who
shall provide a certification acceptable to the board that the applicant will
be awarded a degree in veterinary medicine at graduation during the academic
year from the college or university the applicant attends and has passed a
national licensing examination as required by the board.� No applicant,
however, shall be licensed prior to graduation from a veterinary college or
university.

����
A person desiring to
commence the practice of veterinary technology in this State shall deliver to
the board a fee to be determined by the board for filing the application for
examination and a fee to be determined by the board for the examination, together
with satisfactory proof that the applicant is qualified to be licensed as
veterinary technician.

(cf: P.L.2003, c.227, s.2)

���� 3.��� R.S.45:16-8.1 is amended
to read as follows:

���� 45:16-8.1.�
a.
� Any
person shall be regarded as practicing veterinary medicine within the meaning
of this chapter, who, either directly or indirectly, diagnoses, prognoses,
treats, administers, prescribes, operates on, manipulates, or applies any
apparatus or appliance for any disease, pain, deformity, defect, injury, wound
or physical condition of any animal, including poultry and fish, or who
prevents or tests for the presence of any disease in animals, or who performs
embryo transfers and related reproductive techniques, or who holds himself out
as being able or legally authorized to do so.

���� The term "practice of
veterinary medicine, surgery, and dentistry" does not include:

���� (1)�� The calling into this
State for consultation of a duly licensed veterinarian of any other state with
respect to any case under treatment by a veterinarian registered under the
provisions of this act;

���� (2)�� The practice of
veterinary medicine by any veterinarian in the performance of his official
duties in the service of the State of New Jersey or the United States
Government, either civil or military;

���� (3)�� The experimentation and
scientific research activities of physiologists, bacteriologists, biologists,
pathologists, biological chemists, chemists, or persons under the direct
supervision thereof, when engaged in the study and development of methods and techniques
directly or indirectly applicable to the problems of veterinary medical
practice;

���� (4)�� The administration to
the ills and injuries to their own animals by persons owning such animals;
provided, however, that they otherwise comply with all laws, rules and
regulations relative to the use of medicines and biologics used in so doing;

���� (5)�� Persons gratuitously
giving aid, assistance or relief in emergency or accident cases, if they do not
represent themselves to be veterinarians or use any title or degree
appertaining to the practice of veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry;

���� (6)�� Any
[
properly
trained animal health
]

veterinary
technician or other properly trained
veterinary

assistant, who is under the responsible
and direct
supervision
[
and direction
]
of a licensed
veterinarian in his practice of veterinary medicine, if the
veterinary

technician or
veterinary
assistant does not represent himself as a
veterinarian or use any title or degree appertaining to the practice of
veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry, and does not diagnose, prescribe, or
perform surgery;

���� (7)�� Emergency paramedical
services rendered during the transportation of an animal to an animal or
veterinary facility, when the transportation is provided by any person
providing the service for hire as a business;

���� (8)�� The care, repair and
rehabilitation of wildlife species by wildlife rehabilitators under the
responsible supervision of a licensed veterinarian;

���� (9)�� The undertaking of
duties and actions, in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph (2) of
subsection a. of R.S.45:16-9, by a student at an accredited veterinary school,
if the student does not represent himself as a veterinarian or use any title or
degree appertaining to the practice of veterinary medicine, surgery or
dentistry; and

���� (10) Artificial insemination.

����
b.��� A veterinary
technician may, under the responsible supervision of a veterinarian, perform
any task for which the technician has been trained as delineated in the
American Veterinary Medical Association�s essential task list for veterinary
technician teaching programs.�

(cf: P.L.2013, c.122, s.1)

���� 4.��� (New section)� a.� An
applicant for a veterinary technician license shall submit to the board:

���� (1)�� an application on the
form prescribed by the board;

���� (2)�� information to enable
the board to conduct a criminal history background check if required by the
board; and

���� (3)�� any other information
required by the board.

���� b.��� The board shall issue a
veterinary technician license to an applicant if the applicant:

���� (1)�� passes the veterinary
technician National Examination, or any other examination as required by the
board;

���� (2)�� is at least 18 years of
age; and

���� (3)�� has graduated from a
college level program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical
Association.

���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the sixth month next following enactment, except
that the board may take such action in advance of the effective date as shall
be necessary to implement provisions of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill regulates the
practice of veterinary technicians.�

���� Under the bill, veterinary
technology is the practice of animal care or other services that require a
technical understanding of veterinary medicine by a veterinary technician.

���� The bill requires a person
desiring to commence the practice of veterinary technology in this State to
deliver to the board a fee to be determined by the State Board of Veterinary
Medical Examiners for the examination, together with satisfactory proof that
the applicant is a qualified veterinary technician.

���� The bill also amends statutory
law to allow veterinary technicians, under the responsible supervision of a
licensed veterinarian, to perform any task for which the technician has been
trained as delineated in the American Veterinary Medical Association�s
essential talks list for veterinary technician teaching programs.

���� The bill requires a veterinary
technician applying for a license to submit to the board:�������� (1) an
application on the form prescribed by the board; (2) information to enable the
board to conduct a criminal background check if required by the board; and (3)
any other information required by the board.� The bill further requires the
board to issue a license to a veterinary technician, if the person: passes the
veterinary technician National Examination, or any other examination as
required by the board; is at least 18 years of age; and has graduated from a
college level program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical
Association.