1997 SESSION LAWS OF KANSAS

Chapter 1

SENATE BILL No. 62

An Act concerning veterinary practice; amending K.S.A. 47-816 and 47-826
and repealing the existing sections.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:

Section 1. K.S.A. 47-816 is hereby amended to read as follows: 47-
816. As used in this the Kansas veterinary practice act:

(a) ``Animal'' means any mammalian animal other than human and
any fowl, bird, amphibian, fish or reptile, wild or domestic, living or dead.

(b) ``Board'' means the state board of veterinary examiners.

(c) ``Clock hour of continuing education courses'' means 60 minutes
of actual attendance at a continuing education course approved by the
board.

(d) ``Direct supervision'' means the supervising licensed veterinarian
is on the premises in an animal hospital setting or in the same general
area in a range setting, the supervisor is quickly and easily available and
that the animal has been examined by a veterinarian at such time as good
veterinary medical practice requires, consistent with the particular dele-
gated animal health care task.

(e) ``Licensed veterinarian'' means a veterinarian who is validly and
currently licensed to practice veterinary medicine in this state.

(f) ``Indirect supervision'' means that the supervising licensed veter-
inarian is not on the premises, but has given either written or oral instruc-
tions for treatment of the animal patient, the animal has been examined
by a veterinarian at such times as good veterinary medical practice re-
quires, consistent with the particular delegated animal health care task
and the animal is not anesthetized as defined in rules and regulations.

(g) ``Practice of veterinary medicine'' means any of the following:

(1) To diagnose, treat, correct, change, relieve, or prevent animal
disease, deformity, defect, injury or other physical or mental condition;
including the prescription or administration of any drug, medicine, bio-
logic, apparatus, application, anesthesia or other therapeutic or diagnostic
substance or technique on any animal including but not limited to acu-
puncture, surgical or dental operations, animal psychology, animal chi-
ropractic, theriogenology, surgery, including cosmetic surgery, any man-
ual, mechanical, biological or chemical procedure for testing for

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pregnancy or for correcting sterility or infertility or to render service or
recommendations with regard to any of the above and all other branches
of veterinary medicine.

(2) To represent, directly or indirectly, publicly or privately, an ability
and willingness to do any act described in paragraph (1).

(3) To use any title, words, abbreviation or letters in a manner or
under circumstances which induce the belief that the person using them
is qualified to do any act described in paragraph (1). Such use shall be
prima facie evidence of the intention to represent oneself as engaged in
the practice of veterinary medicine.

(4) To collect blood or other samples for the purpose of diagnosing
disease or conditions. This shall not apply to unlicensed personnel em-
ployed by the United States department of agriculture, the Kansas animal
health department or the state board of agriculture who are engaged in
such personnel's official duties.

(5) To apply principles of environmental sanitation, food inspection,
environmental pollution control, animal nutrition, zoonotic disease con-
trol and disaster medicine in the promotion and protection of public
health in the performance of any veterinary service or procedure.

(h) ``School of veterinary medicine'' means any veterinary college or
division of a university or college that offers the degree of doctor of vet-
erinary medicine or its equivalent, which conforms to the standards re-
quired for accreditation by the American veterinary medical association
and which is recognized and approved by the board.

(i) ``Veterinarian'' means a person who has received a doctor of vet-
erinary medicine degree or the equivalent from a school of veterinary
medicine.

(j) ``Veterinary medical specialist'' means a person who has completed
advanced training in such person's specialty area and is a diplomat of such
specialty.

(k) ``Veterinary premises'' means any premises or facility where the
practice of veterinary medicine occurs, including but not limited to, a
mobile clinic, outpatient clinic, satellite clinic or veterinary hospital or
clinic, but shall not include the premises of a veterinary client or, research
facility or any premises wherein the practice of veterinary medicine occurs
no more than three times per year as a public service outreach of a reg-
istered veterinary premises
.

(l) ``Graduate veterinary technician'' means a person who has grad-
uated from an American veterinary medical association accredited school
approved by the board, or other board-approved school for the training
of veterinary technicians.

(m) ``Registered veterinary technician'' means a person who is a grad-
uate veterinary technician or any other person who has passed the ex-
aminations required by the board for registration and is registered by the
board.

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(n) ``Veterinary-client-patient relationship'' means:

(1) The veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for making med-
ical judgments regarding the health of the animal or animals and the need
for medical treatment, and the client, owner or other caretaker has agreed
to follow the instruction of the veterinarian;

(2) there is sufficient knowledge of the animal or animals by the vet-
erinarian to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the med-
ical condition of the animal or animals. This means that the veterinarian
has recently seen and or is personally acquainted with the keeping and
care of the animal or animals by virtue of an examination of the animal
or animals, or by medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises
where the animal or animals are kept, or both; and

(3) the practicing veterinarian is readily available for followup in case
of adverse reactions or failure of the regimen of therapy.

(o) ``ECFVG certificate'' means a certificate issued by the American
veterinary medical association education commission for foreign veteri-
nary graduates, indicating that the holder has demonstrated knowledge
and skill equivalent to that possessed by a graduate of an accredited or
approved college of veterinary medicine.

(p) ``Veterinary prescription drugs'' means such prescription items as
defined by subsection (c) of 21 U.S.C. Sec. 353.

(q) ``Veterinary corporation'' means a professional corporation of li-
censed veterinarians incorporated under the professional corporation act
of Kansas, cited at K.S.A. 17-2706 et seq., and amendments thereto.

(r) ``Veterinary partnership'' means a partnership pursuant to the
Kansas uniform partnership act, cited at K.S.A. 56-301 et seq., and
amendments thereto, formed by licensed veterinarians engaged in the
practice of veterinary medicine.

Sec. 2. K.S.A. 47-826 is hereby amended to read as follows: 47-826.
(a) The board may issue a license to practice veterinary medicine to
an applicant who meets all of the following requirements:

(1) Has passed the national boards examination as determined by the
board pursuant to rules and regulations;

(2) if the applicant graduated from a school of veterinary medicine
prior to after 1980, has passed the clinical competency test as determined
by the board pursuant to rules and regulations;

(3) has passed the Kansas veterinary legal practice examination;

(4) is not subject to a license investigation, nor has been the recipient
of a license suspension, revocation, or other serious disciplinary action in
any state, territory, the District of Columbia or any foreign country;

(5) submits an authenticated copy of a diploma verifying graduation
from an American veterinary medicine association accredited school of
veterinary medicine or the holder of an educational commission for for-

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eign veterinary graduate certificate issued from the American veterinary
medical association;

(6) if the applicant graduated from a school of veterinary medicine
more than 10 years prior to the year in which the application is being
submitted, show proof that the applicant has actively practiced veterinary
medicine for at least five of the prior 10 years or has actively practiced
for at least 2,000 hours during the three years immediately preceding
such application;

(7) provides other information and proof as the board may establish
by rules and regulations; and

(8) pays any license application fee and examination fee established
by the board pursuant to rules and regulations.

(b) The board also may issue a license to practice veterinary medicine
to an applicant who meets all of the following requirements:

(1) Holds a current certification as a diplomat of a national specialty
board or college recognized by the board by rules and regulations;

(2) is not subject to license investigation, suspension or revocation in
any state, territory, the District of Columbia or any foreign country;

(3) passes the Kansas veterinary legal practice examination;

(4) provides other information and proof as the board may require
by rules and regulations; and

(5) pays any license application fee and examination fee established
by the board pursuant to rules and regulations.

Sec. 3. K.S.A. 47-816 and 47-826 are hereby repealed.

Sec. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.

Approved March 6, 1997.