Regulatory

Trenton, N.J. - New Jersey officials want healthcare professionals to start reporting impairment, incompetence or professional misconduct.

A court ruling temporarily disabled the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from taking action against non-DVM teeth floaters.

FDA recently issued a consumer alert about the risks associated with xylitol ingestion by dogs and ferrets.

Oklahoma City, Okla. -- Membership on the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners may soon be decided by other veterinarians rather than the governor, according to a new bill introduced in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Indiana legislators want all healthcare professionals to undergo background checks prior to licensure.

Austin, Texas -- Texas veterinarians who default on student loan or child support payments now can be disciplined by the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners under a new rule approved under the board?s Rules of Professional Conduct Jan. 14.

Bismarck, N.D. -- Veterinarians and law enforcement officers may be able to seize animals they suspect are being abused or neglected if a new law proposed in North Dakota is passed.

Salt Lake City, Utah -- Feral animals won't fall under protections against animal cruelty in Utah if Rep. Curt Oda (R-Clearfield) has his way.

Little Rock, Ark. - Legislation introduced in Arkansas would exclude animal husbandry from the veterinary practice act.

Modesto, Calif. - a poultry producer filed a civil suit in California seeking specific directions on how to comply with the controversial Prop 2.

San Francisco - Flea and tick products sold in California containing the chemical propoxur now must include a warning label.

Austin, Texas -- Legislation in the Texas House of Representatives would waive confidentiality privileges for clients who are delinquent in paying for veterinary services.

Bismarck, N.D. -- North Dakota lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow veterinary students and veterinary technicians to dispense some medications in a veterinary facility.

Jackson, Miss. -- If the Mississippi Senate passes a new bill, chiropractors will be able to work on animal patients without the direct supervision of a veterinarian.

Columbus, Ohio -- Outgoing Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, in one of his last official actions before leaving office Jan. 10, signed an executive order for a temporary ban on wild animal ownership.

Washington -- The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA) is petitioning Congress to phase out non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in animal agriculture.

Washington -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine is working with an injectable iron dextran supplier to try and relieve a shortage of the drug.

Washington -- Pets undergoing radiation treatments are thought to get better post-treatment care than people, and one Congressman is hoping guidelines for human care can be improved to model veterinary protocols.

Oklahoma City, Okla.? Freshman Sen. Josh Brecheen (R-Coalgate) is asking fellow legislators to repeal the state's recently passed Commercial Pet Breeders Act.

Washington - Federal agencies charged with monitoring animal imports are spread too thin and don't have enough of a clear, overall vision to effectively keep animal diseases from entering the United States, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

Columbus, Ohio - The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board proposed new rules that may become the state's first set of livestock euthanasia standards.

Rockville, Md. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently offered a retrospective on how it responded to the pet-food recall in 2007.

Rockville, Md. - The Food and Drug Administration recently released a report summarizing sales and distribution of data of antimicrobial drugs approved for use in food-producing animals.

Jefferson City, Mo. -- A bill to repeal Missouri?s contested Proposition B already has been pre-filed in the state Senate for consideration in the new year.

Rockville, Md. -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants to identify strategies to address the number of animal drug products marketed without agency approval.

Washington--Kroger Co. recalled select packages of pet food sold in some of its retail stores because the products may be tainted with aflatoxin.

Concord, N.H. -- Dog racing officially becomes an illegal activity in New Hampshire with the start of 2011, though broadcasts of races elsewhere still will be permitted.

Springfield, Ill. -- Illinois lawmakers will require full disclosure to new pet owners in the new year.

Washington -- Veterinarians may now be in the clear, free from falling under requirements set by the Federal Trade Commission?s (FTC) Red Flag?s Rule.

Washington -- Increased food plant inspections and more government authority in food-recall cases are on their way with passage of the long-awaited federal food safety bill by the Senate Nov. 30.