Regulatory

Sacramento, Calif. -- A bill with a history going back to February 2007 that was scrapped by lawmakers in September and would have required mandatory sterlization of dogs and cats older than 6 months has reappeared on the California Senate floor.

Sacramento, Calif. -- A California lawmaker is seeking to make cattle tail docking illegal.

A tax on veterinary services is officially off the table in California.

Denver, Colo. -- Legislation introduced last month in Colorado that would have limited the number of dogs breeders could keep and mandate veterinary certification exams for commercially bred dogs has been set aside indefinitely.

Springfield, Ill. -- Illinois may declare ear cropping and tail docking "animal torture" if a bill introduced in late January is passed.

Albany, N.Y. -- All dogs in New York may have to be microchipped and identified in a state registry if a new bill makes it out of committee.

Lancaster, Calif. -- Several dog breeds will have to go under the knife in the next few weeks when a municipal law requiring sterilization by breed takes effect.

Annapolis - The state's animal shelters again have access to drugs needed to perform their work safely and humanely because of recent legislation and action by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

Tallahassee, Fla. - Practitioners in Florida who decided to act quickly to comply with a new law requiring a prescription drug permit might be out of luck when it comes to getting a refund.

Sacramento - State-employed veterinarians will lose some work starting this moth to combat California's ever-mounting budget deficit.

San Francisco - A dental suite, top-of-the-line technology, scales that are built into the floor and an intensive-care unit spread over 60,000 square feet doesn't sound like the description of a non-profit, but it is.

Denver - Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill that would require cat owners in the state' largest cities to microchip or tag.

With the season for filing 2008 tax returns well under way, all veterinarians should be aware of changes to the laws.

Denver - Newly introduced legislation in Colorado would limit the number of dogs owned by commercial breeders and mandate veterinary certification exams.

Bismarck, N.D. -- The nation's last three horse slaughterhouses closed in 2007, but a new one could be built in North Dakota, depending on the outcome of a feasibility study requested by two state legislators.

Denver - A Colorado bill introduced on Jan. 21 would limit the number of dogs owned by commercial breeders and mandate veterinary certification exams for those dogs that are bred commercially.

Annapolis, Md. -- Animal shelters throughout Maryland again have access to drugs needed to perform their work safely and humanely, because of recent legislation and action by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Denver -- Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill that would force cat owners to microchip or tag their pets.

Rockville, Md. -- Veterinary Adverse Drug Experience (ADE) reports have been updated by the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine.

Denver -- A new Colorado law requires sterilization of all dogs or cats prior to adoption from shelters.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- Veterinarians do not generate enough unused pharmaceuticals to warrant inclusion in an EPA survey on disposal methods of unused drugs, according to the AVMA.

Little Rock, Ark. - The Arkansas Department of Health wants to require annual rabies vaccinations, but the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association isn't biting.

Caution clients about a new law that makes it illegal to dispose of home-generated sharps in trash or recycling bins.

The Uniform Law Commission is working on a campaign to clear the way for veterinarian volunteers in a times of crisis.

Rockville, Md. -- The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is accepting comments through Jan. 26 on a planned regulation that would ban use of cattle tissues in animal feeds.

Sacramento, Calif. -- Little headway has been made over the past weeks to ease deficit concerns in California, and a 10 percent veterinary service tax remains an option for legislators to close a multi-billion budget gap.

Sacramento, Calif. - Veterinary technicians with five years of clinical experience and a minimum of 24 hours of education can now take the California State Registered Veterinary Technician Exam.

National Report - Veterinarians are protesting a state proposal to tax veterinary services in California. Hundreds of letters were sent to the California Veterinary Medical Association. Currently, only three other states tax veterinary services - Hawaii, New Mexico and South Dakota, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Talk about last-minute changes in tax laws that will affect veterinarians.

National Report - State licensing boards are waging war against lay persons performing veterinary medicine, but with attorneys unwilling to prosecute the problem continues to grow. Some believe lay persons are pushing the boundary by offering therapeutic massage, reproductive and chiropractic services.