House
File
726
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
726
BY
STAED
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
allowing
veterinary
assistants
to
administer
rabies
1
vaccinations.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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726
Section
1.
Section
169.20,
Code
2021,
is
amended
to
read
as
1
follows:
2
169.20
Veterinary
assistants.
3
1.
A
veterinarian
may
employ
certified
veterinary
4
assistants
for
any
purpose
other
than
diagnosis,
prescription
,
5
or
surgery.
Veterinary
assistants
6
2.
Except
as
provided
in
subsection
3,
a
veterinary
7
assistant
must
act
under
the
direct
supervision
of
a
licensed
8
veterinarian.
9
3.
Regardless
of
whether
the
veterinary
assistant
is
acting
10
under
the
direct
supervision
of
a
licensed
veterinarian,
the
11
veterinary
assistant
may
administer
a
rabies
vaccination
in
the
12
same
manner
as
a
veterinarian.
13
2.
4.
The
board
shall
issue
certificates
a
certificate
14
to
a
veterinary
assistants
assistant
who
have
has
met
the
15
educational,
experience
,
and
testing
requirements
as
the
board
16
shall
specify
by
rule.
The
certificate
is
not
a
license
and
17
does
not
expire.
The
certificate
may
be
suspended
or
revoked,
18
or
any
other
disciplinary
action
may
be
taken
as
specified
in
19
section
272C.3,
subsection
2
.
All
disciplinary
actions
shall
20
be
taken
pursuant
to
section
169.14
.
21
Sec.
2.
Section
351.35,
Code
2021,
is
amended
to
read
as
22
follows:
23
351.35
How
Rabies
vaccination
——
how
and
when.
24
The
rabies
vaccination
required
by
section
351.33
shall
25
be
an
injection
of
antirabies
vaccine
approved
by
the
state
26
department
of
agriculture
and
land
stewardship,
and
the
27
frequency
of
revaccination
necessary
for
approved
vaccinations
28
shall
be
as
established
by
such
the
department.
The
vaccine
29
shall
be
administered
by
a
licensed
veterinarian
and
shall
30
be
given
as
or
certified
veterinary
assistant
as
provided
in
31
chapter
169.
The
vaccine
shall
be
administered
in
a
manner
32
approved
by
the
state
department
of
agriculture
and
land
33
stewardship.
The
veterinarian
or
a
veterinary
assistant
shall
34
issue
a
tag
with
the
certificate
of
vaccination,
and
such
tag
35
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shall
at
all
times
be
attached
to
the
collar
of
the
dog.
1
Sec.
3.
Section
351.45,
subsection
3,
paragraph
c,
Code
2
2021,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
3
c.
A
veterinarian
licensed
or
a
veterinary
assistant
4
certified
as
provided
in
chapter
169
.
5
EXPLANATION
6
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
7
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
8
This
bill
amends
the
“Iowa
Veterinary
Practice
Act”
(Code
9
chapter
169).
Currently,
a
veterinary
assistant
certified
by
10
the
Iowa
board
of
veterinary
medicine
may
perform
services
11
associated
with
the
practice
of
veterinary
medicine
other
than
12
diagnosis,
prescription,
or
surgery,
if
acting
under
the
direct
13
supervision
of
such
veterinarian
and
in
compliance
with
rules
14
adopted
by
the
board.
The
bill
allows
a
certified
veterinary
15
assistant
to
administer
a
rabies
vaccination
in
the
same
manner
16
as
a
veterinarian
licensed
by
the
board
(amended
Code
section
17
169.20).
The
bill
also
amends
Code
chapter
351
which
provides
18
for
the
control
of
dogs
by
counties,
including
by
requiring
19
dogs
be
vaccinated
for
rabies
by
a
licensed
veterinarian.
The
20
bill
provides
that
the
vaccination
may
be
administered
by
a
21
veterinary
assistant.
The
bill
provides
that
a
veterinary
22
assistant
is
not
subject
to
the
criminal
offense
of
tampering
23
with
a
rabies
vaccination
tag
in
the
same
manner
as
current
law
24
provides
that
a
veterinarian
is
not
subject
to
that
criminal
25
offense.
26
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