SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1400
92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATORS LOUDON, YECKEL AND GIBBONS.
Read 1st time March 1, 2004, and ordered printed.
TERRY L. SPIELER, Secretary.
4851S.01I
AN ACT
To repeal section 340.216, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to the practice of veterinary medicine.
Section A. Section 340.216, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 340.216, to read as follows:
340.216. 1. It is unlawful for any person not licensed as a veterinarian under the provisions of sections 340.200 to 340.330 to practice veterinary medicine or to do any act which requires knowledge of veterinary medicine for valuable consideration, or for any person not so licensed to hold himself or herself out to the public as a practitioner of veterinary medicine by advertisement, the use of any title or abbreviation with the person's name, or otherwise; except that nothing in sections 340.200 to 340.330 shall be construed as prohibiting:
(1) Any person from gratuitously providing emergency treatment, aid or assistance to animals where a licensed veterinarian is not available within a reasonable length of time if the person does not represent himself or herself to be a veterinarian or use any title or degree appertaining to the practice thereof;
(2) Acts of a person who is a student in good standing in a school or college of veterinary medicine or while working as a student preceptee, in performing duties or functions assigned by the student's instructors, or while working under the appropriate level of supervision of a licensed veterinarian as is consistent with the particular delegated animal health care task as established by board rule, and acts performed by a student in a school or college of veterinary medicine recognized by the board and performed as part of the education and training curriculum of the school under the supervision of the faculty. The unsupervised or unauthorized practice of veterinary medicine, even though on the premises of a school or college of veterinary medicine, is prohibited;
(3) Personnel employed by the United States Department of Agriculture or the Missouri department of agriculture from engaging in animal disease, parasite control or eradication programs, or other functions specifically required and authorized to be performed by unlicensed federal or state officials under any lawful act or statute, except that this exemption shall not apply to such persons not actively engaged in performing or fulfilling their official duties and responsibilities;
(4) Any merchant or manufacturer from selling drugs, medicine, appliances or other products used in the prevention or treatment of animal diseases if such drug, medicine, appliance or other product is not marked by the appropriate federal label. Such merchants or manufacturers shall not, either directly or indirectly, attempt to diagnose a symptom or disease in order to advise treatment, use of drugs, medicine, appliances or other products;
(5) The owner of any animal or animals and the owner's full-time employees from caring for and treating any animals belonging to such owner, with or without the advice and consultation of a licensed veterinarian, provided that the ownership of the animal or animals is not transferred, or employment changed, to avoid the provisions of sections 340.200 to 340.330; however, only a licensed veterinarian may immunize or treat an animal for diseases which are communicable to humans and which are of public health significance, except as otherwise provided for by board rule;
(6) Any graduate of any accredited school of veterinary medicine while engaged in a veterinary candidacy program or foreign graduate from a nonaccredited school or college of veterinary medicine while engaged in a veterinary candidacy program or clinical evaluation program, and while under the appropriate level of supervision of a licensed veterinarian performing acts which are consistent with the particular delegated animal health care task;
(7) State agencies, accredited schools, institutions, foundations, business corporations or associations, physicians licensed to practice medicine and surgery in all its branches, graduate doctors of veterinary medicine, or persons under the direct supervision thereof from conducting experiments and scientific research on animals in the development of pharmaceuticals, biologicals, serums, or methods of treatment, or techniques for the diagnosis or treatment of human ailments, or when engaged in the study and development of methods and techniques directly or indirectly applicable to the problems of the practice of veterinary medicine;
(8) Any veterinary technician, duly registered by, and in good standing with, the board from administering medication, appliances or other products for the treatment of animals while under the appropriate level of supervision as is consistent with the delegated animal health care task; and
(9) A consulting veterinarian while working in a consulting capacity in Missouri while under the immediate supervision of a veterinarian licensed and in good standing under sections 340.200 to 340.330.
2. Nothing in sections 340.200 to 340.330 shall be construed as limiting the board's authority to provide other exemptions or exceptions to the requirements of licensing as the board may find necessary or appropriate under its rulemaking authority.
3. Notwithstanding any other provision of sections 340.200 to 340.330 or any rule to the contrary, nothing shall prohibit a licensed physical therapist or physical therapist's assistant from providing rehabilitation services on animals pursuant to a written prescription of a licensed veterinarian, provided the supervising veterinarian is immediately available to the physical therapist or physical therapist's assistant for consultation, assistance, or intervention either personally or via telecommunications.