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2023 Legislative Update

May 09, 2023

2023 Legislative Update

Updates from the 90-day Legislative Session

Over 2,000 bills were introduced over the course of the 90-day legislative session—a busy year for a legislature with over 50 new members and a brand-new gubernatorial administration. We started the session off strong, introducing ourselves to new legislators and refamiliarizing ourselves with our legislative allies from previous sessions. This effort did not go unnoticed, as many members of the House Health and Government Operations Committee were aware of our presence and requested our input on bills dealing with animal welfare and veterinary services.

SB390/HB325 – Provisions of Veterinary Services

As introduced, SB390/HB325 would have authorized out of state veterinarians to practice veterinary medicine in Maryland. Once authorized, out of state veterinarians could perform spays/neuters, provide health examinations, complete health certificates, and administer vaccinations. As originally written, the bill would have also allowed any individual working at a veterinary hospital or animal shelter to administer a rabies vaccine. The MDVMA recognized the dangers of this bill, and thus worked swiftly and diligently to ensure that this unacceptable legislation was fixed. After testifying in front of the House Health and Government Operations Committee and the Senate Energy, Education and the Environment Committee, our concerns were heard, and we geared up to alter the bill. We advocated tirelessly to amend this legislation so veterinarians could uphold their oath to animal welfare and public health. After negotiations, the bill was amended so that the Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners could establish a process for expedited licensure of out of state veterinarians. The ability for out-of-state veterinarians to spay/neuter, provide health exams, and administer vaccines was struck from the bill. Additionally, registered veterinary technicians or clinical staff can administer rabies vaccines so long as the veterinary practitioner signing off on the certificate has ensured the individual administering the vaccine was appropriately trained. That individual also must be identified on the rabies vaccine certificate. The MD Board of Veterinary Examiners feels comfortable with this version, and thus, we offered our support on the amended version of SB390/HB325. This bill passed both the House and Senate and is headed to the Governor’s desk for his signature.

HB1227 – Veterinarians as Dispensers

This bill was introduced at the request of the Maryland Department of Health to include veterinarians as ‘dispensers’ in the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Any veterinarian that dispensed controlled substances Schedule II-IV would have to report dispenses daily. That includes reporting ‘0’ dispenses. The Department feels that this bill is ‘closing a loophole’, as the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program calls for all controlled substances to be reported, however, veterinarians were not included. There was a lot of concern from veterinarians around the State about how this would affect their day-to-day operations. We met with people from the PDMP and MDH on several occasions in hopes of finding compromise on a bill. During the hearing, the Chairwoman of the House Health and Government Operations Committee made it clear that she wanted consensus from all stakeholders on this bill. This bill did not make it out of committee before the legislative session ended, so we are continuing to work in the interim. MDH is aware of our asks—which include a lifetime exemption for veterinarians who do not dispense any drugs and an exemption for dispenses of 3 days or less. Additionally, we are working to amend the requirement to require zero-day reporting from veterinarians. We are working hard to help ensure veterinarians in Maryland protect the health of the public by mitigating diversion of dangerous substances while ensuring that our role in doing so does not result in expensive and deleterious reporting requirements for veterinarians. MDH and the PDMP seem receptive to working with us and we will continue the dialog. This issue will not be going away and will be reintroduced in the 2024 session, and it will be critical that members offer their input on this legislation when requested.

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By Marisa Francis 08 Dec, 2023
The University of Maryland Department of Veterinary Medicine has been cleared to collect samples as part of a research investigation into the causative agent to help our Maryland veterinary community and not as a fee for service diagnostic service . Participation and sending samples is encouraged and voluntary - at no cost - other than shipping to the veterinary clinic. The results will be communicated as a research report about the findings of the investigation and not on individual cases basis. As such the department of veterinary medicine is covering the cost of this investigation. It must be emphasized that at this time UMD is cleared to receive and store the samples that meet their criteria for running metagenomic sequencing for investigation purposes. They will not be able to process samples until full protocol approval which they hope will happen on December 13. In addition, turnaround time on the final study report cannot be predicted as it depends on many factors including IBC protocol approval process and how quickly enough samples can be collected to run the testing. Download the sample submission protocol HERE
By Marisa Francis 07 Dec, 2023
As many of you know, concerns about an outbreak of atypical canine infectious respiratory disease (CIRD) have been reported in areas all over the United States. This has dominated media outlets early in this holiday season. At this time, we are told several cases have been reported recently although we do know the actual number of cases reported. The Maryland Veterinary Medical Association (MDVMA) is aware of the concerns of the citizens of Maryland. CIRD is a broad term to describe known bacterial and viral causes of lung, trachea (throat), and nasal disease. The problem with atypical CIRD is that it does not always respond or behave like common CIRD. There has been very little and consistent data reported as the definitive pathogen causing this illness. Different states are reporting different things with some known pathogens being isolated and some are not. Veterinarians - continue reading. Dog owners - continue reading.
By Jaime Markle 24 Jul, 2023
When a patient with suspected neurological disease presents to Veterinary Neurology & Imaging of the Chesapeake, there are a number of steps in the process of identifying, diagnosing and treating their condition... The post CT vs. MRI: Understanding Neurodiagnostics for Your Pet appeared first on MDVMA.
By Jaime Markle 23 May, 2023
Company​ Booth # Antech Diagnostics 12 Banfield Pet Hospital 8 Blue Buffalo Company 24 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health 16 Christian Veterinary Mission 13 Compass Veterinary Neurology & Imaging 3 Dulaney Valley Pet Loss Center & Memorial Gardens 4 Everhart Veterinary Medicine 10 First National Bank 22 MWI Animal Health 1 Nexus Veterinary Specialists 17 Nutramax … Summer Conference Exhibitors Read More » The post Summer Conference Exhibitors appeared first on MDVMA.
By Jaime Markle 09 May, 2023
Few issues have united the federal and state governments like the challenge of inadequate retirement savings. Washington passed the Secure Act in 2019 to encourage employers – including veterinary practices and animal hospitals – to offer employment-based retirement savings programs. Just three years later, in December 2022, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021 … Washington and Annapolis Offers a “Carrot,” Other states choose the “Stick” to Encourage Employers to Offer Retirement Savings Programs Read More » The post Washington and Annapolis Offers a “Carrot,” Other states choose the “Stick” to Encourage Employers to Offer Retirement Savings Programs appeared first on MDVMA.
By MDVMA Staff 07 Feb, 2023
MDVMA needs you, our valued members, more than ever. Please take the time to share your concern and/or opposition for House Bill 325 and Senate Bill 390. What is the synopsis? HB 325 and SB 390 will require the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners to authorize a veterinary practitioner licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized to practice veterinary … Concern for HB 325 / SB 390 – Provision of Veterinary Services – Routine Medical Care and Rabies Vaccines Read More » The post Concern for HB 325 / SB 390 – Provision of Veterinary Services – Routine Medical Care and Rabies Vaccines appeared first on MDVMA.
By MDVMA Staff 03 Jan, 2023
 Dr. Matthew Weeman, DVM, MSBoard of Directors Food Animal RepresentativeChair, Legislative Committee This past session your MDVMA and AVMA both used membership dollars to work hard on your behalf testifying on multiple, critical legislative items. For the first time in Maryland’s history a bill to reward non-economic damages was introduced. This bill was more … Legislative Update and Request for Your Assistance Read More » The post Legislative Update and Request for Your Assistance appeared first on MDVMA.
By Marisa Francis 30 Nov, 2022
Certified Safety Training offers MDVMA members fully customized and discounted Veterinary OSHA Safety Programs including unlimited online training modules, Certified Safety Data Sheets and dedicated compliance consulting. Veterinary OSHA Compliance Programs give veterinarians and practice managers a comprehensive review of the requirements of select health and safety standards. Each program comes with a written compliance plan, … MDVMA Partners with Certified Safety Training to Provide Custom Veterinary OSHA Safety Services Read More » The post MDVMA Partners with Certified Safety Training to Provide Custom Veterinary OSHA Safety Services appeared first on MDVMA.
By MDVMA Staff 21 Nov, 2022
By Jessica DeCesare, Chief People Officer, VetEvolve People rarely (if ever) go into the veterinary industry without having a true passion for it. You may even remember the specific moment when you decided to have a career in veterinary medicine. Maybe it was when you got your first puppy, your first time riding a horse … Putting Employees’ Happiness at the Forefront Read More » The post Putting Employees’ Happiness at the Forefront appeared first on MDVMA.
By Marisa Francis 01 Sep, 2022
The American Association of Feline Practitioners and EveryCat Health Foundation Announce Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) Diagnosis Guidelines BRIDGEWATER, NJ; WYCKOFF, NJ; September 1, 2022 – The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and EveryCat Health Foundation have released the 2022 AAFP/EveryCat Feline Infectious Peritonitis Diagnosis Guidelines. These landmark Guidelines are published in the Journal of … 2022 FIP Diagnosis Guidelines Read More » The post 2022 FIP Diagnosis Guidelines appeared first on MDVMA.
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