(The bill text should be available online tomorrow, Friday at the latest)
Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) introduced AB 1999, comprehensive legislation to update California’s Veterinary Medicine Practice Act to expand access to care, and strengthen animal welfare protections across the state. AB 1999 is co-sponsored by the California Veterinary Medical Board (CVMB), Social Compassion in Legislation (SCIL), the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), and San Diego Humane Society.
The bill amends several areas of law by updating the owner exemption to veterinary practice, establishing structured pathways for retired volunteer veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians (RVTs) to serve animal shelters, creating a shelter veterinarian license category, and refining regulations governing the Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR). Together, these reforms will implement stronger regulatory protections for animals and expand access to animal health care services, helping to address the needs of an evolving veterinary workforce and increasingly impacted animal shelter system.
“After many years advocating for solutions to California’s ongoing shortage of affordable and accessible veterinary care, I am happy to author AB 1999, a bill that will protect animal health and help shelters and pet owners obtain the qualified veterinary care they need,” Assemblymember Ash Kalra said. “This legislation will create streamlined, regulated pathways for retired veterinary staff and out-of-state veterinarians to provide their services to shelters and humane societies and will reform Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship regulations to eliminate the unnecessary burdens they currently place upon veterinary clinics and the clients they serve.”
“California’s animal shelters are on the front lines of an access-to-care crisis. AB 1999 ensures that qualified veterinarians and RVTs can serve where they are needed most, while preserving strong oversight and accountability," said Judie Mancuso, former 8-year California Veterinary Medical Board Member and Founder and President of Social Compassion in Legislation which is cosponsoring AB 1999. "By modernizing outdated statutory language and creating structured volunteer pathways, this legislation strengthens protections for animals and responsibly expands care.”
"We thank the VMB and its Multidisciplinary Committee for actively responding to our sponsored Assembly Concurrent Resolution 86, which called for the Board to encourage out-of-state veterinarians and RVTs to become licensed in California to address pet overpopulation. AB 1999 creates efficient and streamlined licensing pathways that does just that and so much more," continued Judie Mancuso.
Expanding Access to Veterinary Care
With the increasing costs of veterinary care combined with the shortage of veterinary professionals, many animal shelters, rescues, and owners are finding it difficult to give animals the baseline level of care they require. A recent national survey showed that over 50% of pet owners skipped necessary veterinary care primarily due to costs.
AB 1999 amends key provisions of California law to ensure veterinarians can practice more efficiently, while maintaining strong public and animal protections. It also expands the pool of veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians (RVTs) allowed to provide care for animal shelters and nonprofits. Specifically to these areas, the bill does the following:
- Clarifies veterinary telemedicine standards to ensure safe implementation
- Expands the Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) regulations to allow for patient-specific medical care without the need to establish a new VCPR for every new medical condition
- Establishes formal retired and retired volunteer license and registration statuses for veterinarians and RVTs
- Allows those with retired volunteer statuses to volunteer for animal shelters and nonprofits
- Creates, with a streamlined process, a Shelter Veterinarian License for professionals who provide services, exclusively, for animal shelters
- Maintains continuing education, oversight, and enforcement safeguards
These reforms support animal shelters and nonprofit organizations working to address pet overpopulation, emergency response needs, and routine animal care in high-demand environments.
Additionally, in order to protect animal welfare, AB 1999 narrows the scope of the owner exemption to exclude surgical procedures. Currently, the exemption allows owners of an animal or their unpaid agents to practice the full scope of veterinary medicine on that owned animal. Absent clarification or reasonable limits, the breadth of this exemption could permit unqualified individuals to undertake advanced medical procedures, increasing the risk of serious animal harm, including preventable deaths.
Broad Coalition of Support
“This bill strengthens consumer and animal protections by prohibiting unlicensed individuals from performing surgeries on their own animals. Some of the most egregious cases of animal harm reported to the Board could not be prosecuted due to lack of jurisdiction, and this bill would solve that issue,” said Board President Dr. Maria Solacito. “AB 1999 also helps address the veterinarian shortage felt in animal shelters throughout California by creating a faster way for out-of-state veterinarians to practice in California animal shelters and creating a way for retired veterinarians and RVTs to volunteer at animal shelters. In addition, consumers will have greater access to care without having to re-establish the VCPR for every medical condition.”
“The CVMA is proud to co-sponsor AB 1999 in its ongoing efforts to improve access to veterinary care for California’s animal owners and improve the health of California pets,” said Dr. Peter Bowie, President of the California Veterinary Medical Association. “AB 1999 addresses important issues that protect pets from harm, supports animal shelters and non-profits as they address pet overpopulation, clarifies veterinary telemedicine so that it can be practiced as safely as possible, and allows veterinarians to more efficiently work within the Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship. AB 1999 takes bold and significant steps to move California in the right direction in caring for our robust and diverse animal population and by helping dedicated animal owners.”
“This legislation modernizes California’s veterinary laws to expand access to care while protecting animal welfare," said Dr. Gary Weitzman, President and CEO of San Diego Humane Society. "By making the Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship patient-specific rather than condition-specific, it allows veterinarians to use sound medical judgment instead of requiring unnecessary visits, better reflecting today’s veterinary practice. The bill also creates a new shelter veterinarian license that will better support the essential role of shelters and nonprofits in caring for animals.”
AB 1999 will be heard in the Assembly Business and Professions Committee in the upcoming weeks.
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