Bill Summary for S 604 (2019-2020)

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Summary date: 

Apr 8 2019

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2019-2020 Session
Senate Bill 604 (Public) Filed Wednesday, April 3, 2019
AN ACT TO REGULATE IMPAIRMENT IN VETERINARY PRACTICE, ALLOW VETERINARY FACILITY PERMITTING, AND MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.
Intro. by Rabon.

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Bill summary

Part I.

Amends GS 90-181 by adding and defining the term impairment, for use in Article 11 (Veterinarians). Amends the grounds for disciplinary action under GS 90-187.8 so that one ground includes the impairment of an individual holding a license or registration when the impairment (now defined to include more causes of impairment than previously listed in the statute) interferes with that individual's ability to practice within the scope of the license or registration with reasonable skill and safety, and in a manner not harmful to the public or to animals under the individual's care. 

Part II.

Amends GS 90-181, by amending the term person, as it is used in Article 11 (Veterinarians) to include entities. Amends GS 90-181.1, concerning facility names and levels of service, to refer to veterinary facilities instead of veterinary practice facilities. Amends GS 90-186, concerning the powers of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board (Board), to refer to veterinary facilities instead of veterinary practice facilities. 

Amends GS 90-486 by adding that the Board may also (1) pursuant to administrative rule, establish all provisions and requirements for a veterinary facility permit, the issuance of which is required for any facility where veterinary medicine is practiced, except for those facilities exempted by law and (2) pursuant to administrative rule, establish all provisions and requirements for a supervising veterinarian for each veterinary facility maintaining a valid veterinary facility permit.

Amends GS 90-187.10 by removing the current provisions and instead prohibiting engaging in veterinary medicine without a veterinary license and prohibiting owning a veterinary facility without a veterinary facility permit. 

Repeals GS 90-187.11, which allowed conducting a veterinary medical practice as a sole proprietorship, by a partnership, or by a duly registered professional corporation, and required all partners to be licensed.

Amends GS 90-187.12, which makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to take the prohibited actions by no longer making each act of the unlawful practice a distinct and separate offense. Makes additional clarifying changes.

The act applies to permits and licenses granted on or after October 1, 2019, unless otherwise indicated.