Animal Chiropractic:    

      Must be a licensed chiropractor who has taken the required 210 hours of training in animal chiropractic from the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association, International Veterinary Chiropractic Association, or a higher institution approved program  

      Defines what is included in Animal Chiropractic diagnosis and treatment.   

      Animal chiropractor may not perform surgery, dispense or administer medications or perform traditional veterinary care and diagnosis. 

      An animal chiropractor may not perform procedures on an animal unless it has been referred by a veterinarian and the chiropractor has been registered to do so by the board of Chiropractic. 

      The Animal chiropractor must provide a report to the referring veterinarian if requested by the owner. 

       The Animal chiropractor must post a sign in the reception area of the facility if both human and animals are treated in the facility.

        Animals must be treated in a separate room. 

Board of Veterinary Medicine:. 

       Approval of PAVE program “Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence”. States that the “PAVE certificate is issued by the American Association of      Veterinary State Boards indicating that the holder has demonstrated knowledge and skill equivalent to that possessed by a graduate of an accredited or approved college of veterinary medicine”.  

      Specialty faculty licensure approved.  Adds direct supervision by a Minnesota licensed veterinarian to the specialty licensed faculty clinician employed by the Veterinary Medical Center.

      Dispensing and prescription requirements. Defines dispensing which means the distribution of certain drugs  which includes “human drugs for extra label use”. 

Includes in “prescription” veterinary prescription drugs, human drugs for extra- label use   or over-the-counter drugs for extra-label use.                                           

      Service of an order will be done by US mail rather than by “certified” US mail . 

Board of Animal Health 

     TB Eradication program;  Grants the Board of Animal Health the authority to control tuberculosis and the movement of cattle, bison, goats and farmed cervidae within and between tuberculosis zones in the state.

           Funding provided  

           Management zone defined 

           Animal movement restrictions  

Dangerous dog legislation MS. 347.50- 347.56

     “Provocation” defined, means “ an act that an adult could reasonably expect may cause a dog to attack or bite”. 

       Bonding required, increased to $300,000.00 from $50,000.00 for liability  insurance for owners of dangerous dogs. 

       Potentially dangerous and dangerous dogs defined Adds the term” dangerous”.

      Requirements for owners ; control of the dog, reporting location or change of location of the dog to animal control authorities and sterilization of the dog.

      Disposition of seized animals   

      Criteria for destruction of certain dogs; may be destroyed by proper humane method if the dog “inflicted substantial or great bodily harm on a human on public or private property without provocation” or “inflicted multiple bites on a human on public or private property without provocation .     

          “Sterilization” required  

           “Animal Control Authority” replaces “county” as responsible entity     

Dog fighting legislation   MS 343.31   

      Penalties increased   

          Owning, promoting- felony   

          Attending- gross misdemeanor   

Contaminated animals- exposure to an adulterant; example, ingestion of a pesticide or herbicide- treated as an adulterated product   

Goats- Maximum allowable somatic cell count for raw milk increased to 1,500,000 per ml

Potential 2009 Legislative Issues

While 2008 was a very busy year, 2009 is shaping up to have as many issues, if not more.  Scope of practice issues still abound with the Animal Humane Society.  Prior to the 2008 legislative session, we were able to convince the AHS to work with us rather than introducing a bill regarding spay and neuter services for low income pet owners.  Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL–Duluth) was poised to carry the AHS legislation.  It will be imperative that the relationship with AHS be maintained and that a suitable solution be found before the start of the 2009 session.  Similarly, as mentioned above, the Dog and Cat Breeders Act will be reintroduced in 2009 and any unresolved issued contained within the Department of Agriculture Animal Husbandry Working Group, i.e. teeth floating and equine dentistry, are sure to become issues for the MVMA in 2009.  We must continue to monitor these issues and resolve as many as possible prior to the beginning of session.

Actual Final Ag Bill Language concerning Chiropractors:

Sec. 24. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 148.01, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. Definitions. For the purposes of sections 148.01 to 148.10,:
    (1) "chiropractic" is defined as the science of adjusting any abnormal articulations of
the human body, especially those of the spinal column, for the purpose of giving freedom
of action to impinged nerves that may cause pain or deranged function; and
    (2) "animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment" means treatment that includes
identifying and resolving vertebral subluxation complexes, spinal manipulation, and
manipulation of the extremity articulations of nonhuman vertebrates. Animal chiropractic
diagnosis and treatment does not include:
    (i) performing surgery;
    (ii) dispensing or administering of medications; or
    (iii) performing traditional veterinary care and diagnosis.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 25. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 148.01, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:
    Subd. 1a. Animal chiropractic practice. A licensed chiropractor may engage in
the practice of animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment if registered to do so by the
board, and the animal has been referred to the chiropractor by a veterinarian.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 26. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 148.01, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:
    Subd. 1b. Scope of practice; animal chiropractic. Criteria for registration
to engage in the practice of animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment must be set
by the board, and must include, but are not limited to: active chiropractic license;
education and training in the field of animal chiropractic from an American Veterinary
Chiropractic Association, International Veterinary Chiropractic Association, or higher
institution-approved course consisting of no less than 210 hours, meeting continuing
education requirements; and other conditions and rules set by the board. The board
shall consult with the State Board of Veterinary Medicine in preparing proposed rules
on animal chiropractic.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 27. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 148.01, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:
    Subd. 1c. Titles. Notwithstanding the limitations established in section 156.12,
subdivision 4, a doctor of chiropractic properly registered to provide chiropractic care to
animals in accordance with this chapter and rules of the board may use the title "animal
chiropractor."
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 28. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 148.01, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:
    Subd. 1d. Provisional interim statute. Upon approval by the board, a licensed
chiropractor who has already taken and passed the education and training requirement
set forth in subdivision 1b may engage in the practice of animal chiropractic during the
time that the rules are being promulgated by the board. Enforcement actions may not
be taken against persons who have completed the approved program of study by the
American Veterinary Chiropractic Association or the International Veterinary Chiropractic
Association until the rules have been adopted by the board.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 29. [148.032] EDUCATIONAL CRITERIA FOR LICENSURE IN ANIMAL
CHIROPRACTIC DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT; RECORDS; TREATMENT
NOTES.
    (a) The following educational criteria must be applied to any licensed chiropractor
who requests registration in animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment. The criteria must
include education and training in the following subjects:
    (1) anatomy;
    (2) anatomy laboratory;
    (3) biomechanics and gait;
    (4) chiropractic educational basics;
    (5) animal chiropractic diversified adjusting technique, including:
    (i) lecture cervical;
    (ii) thoracic;
    (iii) lumbosacral;
    (iv) pelvic; and
    (v) extremity;
    (6) animal chiropractic diversified adjusting technique, including:
    (i) laboratory cervical;
    (ii) thoracic;
    (iii) lumbosacral;
    (iv) pelvic; and
    (v) extremity;
    (7) case management and case studies;
    (8) chiropractic philosophy;
    (9) ethics and legalities;
    (10) neurology, neuroanatomy, and neurological conditions;
    (11) pathology;
    (12) radiology;
    (13) research in current chiropractic and veterinary topics;
    (14) rehabilitation, current topics, evaluation, and assessment;
    (15) normal foot anatomy and normal foot care;
    (16) saddle fit and evaluation, lecture, and laboratory;
    (17) veterinary educational basics;
    (18) vertebral subluxation complex; and
    (19) zoonotic diseases.
    (b) A licensed chiropractor requesting registration in animal chiropractic diagnosis
and treatment must have completed and passed a course of study from an American
Veterinary Chiropractic Association, International Veterinary Chiropractic Association, or
higher institution-approved program, consisting of no less than 210 hours of education
and training as set forth in paragraph (a).
    (c) A licensed chiropractor engaged in the practice of animal chiropractic diagnosis
and treatment must maintain complete and accurate records and patient files in the
chiropractor's office for at least three years.
    (d) A licensed chiropractor engaged in the practice of animal chiropractic diagnosis
and treatment must make treatment notes and records available to the patient's owner
upon request and must communicate their findings and treatment plan with the referring
veterinarian if requested by the patient's owner.
    (e) A licensed chiropractor who treats both animal and human patients in the same
facility must post a conspicuous sign in the reception area of that facility informing
customers that nonhuman patients are treated on the premises.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 30. [148.033] ANIMAL CHIROPRACTIC CONTINUING EDUCATION
HOURS.
    Any chiropractor engaged in the practice of animal chiropractic diagnosis and
treatment applying for renewal of a registration related to animal chiropractic diagnosis
and treatment must have completed a minimum of six hours annually of continuing
education in animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment, in addition to the required 20
hours annually of continuing education in human chiropractic under this chapter. The
continuing education course attended for purposes of complying with this section must be
approved by the board prior to attendance by the chiropractor.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

Please feel free to contact Dr. Tom Hagerty at the MVMA office 651-645-7533 if you have any questions about MVMA legislative activities.