Makes permanent the provisions of chapter 176 of the laws of 2007 relating to persons exempt from licensure as veterinarians

BILL NUMBER:A10266

Title of bill

An act to amend chapter 176 of the laws of 2007, amend- ing the education law relating to persons exempt from licensure as veterinarians, in relation to making permanent the provisions thereof

Purpose of general idea of bill

This bill will make permanent Chapter 176 of the Laws of 2007 which allows state licensed veterinarians who provide services to American Zoo and Aquarium Association accredited facilities to retain the services of licensed physicians to perform services upon gibbons, siamangos, orangutans, chimps, gorillas and other great apes under certain limited circumstances.

Summary of specific provisions

This bill would make permanent paragraph (12) of Section 6705 of the education law to allow veterinarians to supervise physicians in rendering medical services to the enumerated non-human primates at AZA accredited facilities in the State of New York.

Justification

In recent years American Zoo and Aquarium Association accredited facilities located in the state have from time to time found it necessary to undertake sensitive medical procedures on enumerated non-human primates in their long term care and custody. During the course of these procedures have there have been occasions in which their veterinary experience and training has not prepared them as fully to provide the kind of sophisticated medical care they may have wished to provide. Essentially, many major medical procedures involving these animals are not undertaken frequently enough to allow licensed veterina- rians to develop the level of expertise that they feel appropriate.

Given the similarity of many features of the anatomy of these species to that of human beings, this bill would allow veterinarians to draw upon the expertise of their human health colleagues by allowing them to involve a physician in the care and treatment of them. In order to ensure that the overall expertise of the veterinarian in treating an animal is recognized, the bill makes clear that it is the veterinarian who is responsible for the overall care of the animal by requiring that the condition be diagnosed by the veterinarian who is authorized to delegate aspects of medical care to an appropriately qualified physician while maintaining the responsibility for evaluating the care provided by the physician.

The necessity for this legislation is underscored by the enactment of 2004 legislation that makes it illegal for New Yorkers to own or possess certain exotic animals. As a result, it may become increasingly diffi- cult for veterinarians to maintain the professional competence to under- take sophisticated procedures on these animals making the necessity for the enactment of this bill more apparent.

Prior legislative history

Chapter 176 of the Laws of 2007

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

The bill would take effect immediately.