Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, and Nicole Oria, in Her Official Capacity as Executive Director// Ellen Jefferson, D.V.M. v. Ellen Jefferson, D.V.M.// Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, and Nicole Oria, in Her Official Capacity as Executive Director

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided July 8, 2015·No. 03-14-00774-CV·Published

Opinion

ACCEPTED

03-14-00774-CV

5976703

THIRD COURT OF APPEALS

AUSTIN, TEXAS

7/8/2015 11:22:47 AM

JEFFREY D. KYLE

CLERK

NO. 03-14-00774-CV

FILED IN

3rd COURT OF APPEALS

IN THE THIRD COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS 7/8/2015 11:22:47 AM

JEFFREY D. KYLE

Clerk

TEXAS STATE BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EXAMINERS, and NICOLE ORIA, in Her Official Capacity as Executive Director Appellants/Cross-Appellees, v.

ELLEN JEFFERSON, D.V.M.,

Appellee/Cross-Appellant.

On Appeal from the 127th Judicial District Court of Travis County, Texas Cause No. D-1-GN-14-000287 The Honorable Gisela D. Triana presiding

BRIEF OF APPELLANTS/CROSS APPELLEES TEXAS STATE BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EXAMINERS AND NICOLE ORIA, IN HER OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

KEN PAXTON TED A. ROSS Attorney General of Texas Assistant Attorney General State Bar No. 24008890

CHARLES E. ROY OFFICE OF THE TEXAS ATTORNEY First Assistant Attorney General GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE LAW DIVISION JAMES E. DAVIS P.O. Box 12548 Deputy Attorney General for Austin, Texas 78711-2548 Civil Litigation Telephone: (512) 475-4191 Facsimile: (512) 457-4674 DAVID A. TALBOT, JR. Email: ted.ross@texasattorneygeneral.gov Chief, Administrative Law Division Attorneys for Appellants/Cross-Appellees

ORAL ARGUMENT CONDITIONALLY REQUESTED July 8, 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... ii INDEX OF AUTHORITIES.................................................................................... iii RECORD AND PARTY REFERENCES ............................................................... iv STATEMENT OF THE CASE ..................................................................................v REQUEST FOR ORAL ARGUMENT ................................................................... vi ISSUES PRESENTED FOR REVIEW ................................................................... vi STATEMENT OF FACTS ........................................................................................2 SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT ........................................................................4 ARGUMENT .............................................................................................................4 I. STANDARD OF REVIEW .............................................................................4 II. REGULATORY BACKGROUND .................................................................5 III. DR. JEFFERSON’S APA RULE CHALLENGE IS WITHOUT MERIT .....6

A. Both rules are consistent with the Act, including the “Ownership Exemption.” ...........................................................................................7

CONCLUSION AND PRAYER .............................................................................10 CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE .......................................................................12 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ................................................................................12

ii

INDEX OF AUTHORITIES

Cases Dodd v. Meno, 870 S.W.2d 4 (Tex. 1994) .................................................................5

Reliant Energy, Inc. v. Public Util. Comm’n of Tex., 62 S.W.3d 833 (Tex. App.—Austin 2001, no pet.) ..................................................................5

Tex. Dep’t of Human Servs. v. Christian Care Ctrs., Inc., 826 S.W.2d 715 (Tex. App—Austin 1992, writ denied)............................................................6

Tex. Orthopaedic Ass’n v. Tex. State Bd. of Med. Exam’rs, 254 S.W.3d 714 (Tex. App.—Austin 2008, pet. denied) .......................................................4, 5

Statutes Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 37.001 .....................................................................3 Tex. Gov’t Code § 2001.038......................................................................................3 Tex. Gov’t Code § 801.004(1) ...............................................................................7, 8 Tex. Occ. Code § 801.151 .........................................................................................5 Tex. Occ. Code § 801.151(b) .....................................................................................6 Tex. Occ. Code § 801.151(c)(1) ............................................................................5, 6 Tex. Occ. Code §§ 801.402(4), (6), (12), (13), (16) ..................................................6

Rules 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 573.72 ........................................................................ passim 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 573.80(2) ................................................................... passim

iii

RECORD AND PARTY REFERENCES The clerk’s record will be referred to as “CR ____.” The supplemental clerk’s record will be referred to as “Supp. CR ___.”

Appellants/Cross-Appellees, the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, and Nicole Oria in Her Official Capacity as Executive Director, will be collectively referred to as the “Board” unless otherwise designated.

Appellee/Cross-Appellant, Ellen Jefferson, D.V.M., will be referred to as “Dr. Jefferson.”

iv

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Dr. Jefferson filed the underlying district court suit, requesting declaratory and injunctive relief with respect to a pending Board disciplinary proceeding and various Board rules. CR 4. She then filed an amended petition wherein she asserted a number of challenges to the Board’s rules, two of which are at issue in this interlocutory appeal. CR 186.

The Board filed a plea challenging the district court’s subject matter jurisdiction over Dr. Jefferson’s rule challenge, as well as her claims under the Texas Uniform Declaratory Judgment Act (“UDJA”). CR 67.

The district court carried the Board’s plea with the trial of Dr. Jefferson’s other claims. After trial, the court issued a judgment granting the Board’s plea with respect to Dr. Jefferson’s UDJA claims, and denying the Board’s plea regarding her rule challenge. CR 855. See also Exhibit 1. The court ruled that it had jurisdiction over Dr. Jefferson’s rule challenge and went on to uphold the validity of the Board rules in question, with the exception of Board Rules 573.72 and 573.80(2). 22 Tex. Admin. Code §§ 573.72; 573.80(2). Id.

The Board then timely filed this interlocutory appeal of the denial of its plea on the rule challenge and the Court’s invalidation of Board Rules 573.72 and 573.80(2). Suppl. CR 3.

v

Dr. Jefferson thereafter filed a counter-appeal regarding the dismissal of her UDJA claims. Suppl. CR 5.

CONDITIONAL REQUEST FOR ORAL ARGUMENT The issues related to Dr. Jefferson’s rule challenge are purely legal in nature, and the Board therefore does not believe that oral argument would assist the Court with respect to those issues. However, the Board reserves the right to oral argument should it be granted.

ISSUES PRESENTED FOR REVIEW Are Board rules 573.72 and 573.80(2) consistent with the “Ownership Exemption” in the Veterinary Practice Act?

vi

NO. 03-14-00774-CV

IN THE THIRD COURT OF APPEALS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS

TEXAS STATE BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EXAMINERS, and NICOLE ORIA, in her Official Capacity as Executive Director Appellants/Cross-Appellees, v.

ELLEN JEFFERSON, D.V.M.,

Appellee/Cross-Appellant.

On Appeal from the 127th Judicial District Court of Travis County, Texas Cause No. D-1-GN-14-000287 The Honorable Gisela D. Triana presiding

BRIEF OF APPELLANTS/CROSS APPELLEES TEXAS STATE BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EXAMINERS AND NICOLE ORIA, IN HER OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, and Nicole Oria, in Her Official Capacity as Executive Director// Ellen Jefferson, D.V.M. v. Ellen Jefferson, D.V.M.// Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, and Nicole Oria, in Her Official Capacity as Executive Director, (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, and Nicole Oria, in Her Official Capacity as Executive Director// Ellen Jefferson, D.V.M. v. Ellen Jefferson, D.V.M.// Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, and Nicole Oria, in Her Official Capacity as Executive Director (Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, and Nicole Oria, in Her Official Capacity as Executive Director// Ellen Jefferson, D.V.M. v. Ellen Jefferson, D.V.M.// Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, and Nicole Oria, in Her Official Capacity as Executive Director) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Reliant Energy, Inc. v. Public Utility Commission of Texas
62 S.W.3d 833 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2001)
Dodd v. Meno
870 S.W.2d 4 (Texas Supreme Court, 1994)
Texas Department of Human Services v. Christian Care Centers, Inc.
826 S.W.2d 715 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1992)