(a)A California veterinary medical school may develop a high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter certification program to be offered as elective coursework to enrolled students. The certification program shall do all of the following:
(1)Provide training in techniques to facilitate safe and efficient ovariectomy, ovariohysterectomy, and gonadectomy of cats and dogs.
(2)Use and support best practices for high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter procedures and services.
(3)Consist of both classroom and surgery lab training.
(4)Require students
to successfully complete a number of ovariectomies, ovariohysterectomies, and gonadectomies under the high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter model, as determined by the program.
(b)If there are program spaces available after students
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(a)
A California veterinary medical school may develop a high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter certification program to be offered as elective coursework to enrolled students. The certification program shall do all of the following:
(1)
Provide training in techniques to facilitate safe and efficient ovariectomy, ovariohysterectomy, and gonadectomy of cats and dogs.
(2)
Use and support best practices for high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter procedures and services.
(3)
Consist of both classroom and surgery lab training.
(4)
Require students
to successfully complete a number of ovariectomies, ovariohysterectomies, and gonadectomies under the high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter model, as determined by the program.
(b)
If there are program spaces available after students have enrolled, a California veterinary medical school that offers a certification program pursuant to subdivision (a) shall allow California-licensed veterinarians and California-registered veterinary technicians to enroll in the certification program for continuing education and certification purposes.
(1)
A veterinary medical school that offers a certification program pursuant to this section shall provide a California-licensed veterinarian or California-registered veterinary technician who successfully completes the certification program with a certificate of completion and a written confirmation of the number of hours spent in active
high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter practice.
(2)
A California-licensed veterinarian or California-registered veterinary technician who successfully completes the certification program shall receive continuing education credit for program participation.
(3)
The curriculum offered to a California-registered veterinary technician pursuant to this subdivision shall be consistent with current law and shall include, among other topics, all of the following:
(A)
Surgical preparation of the patient.
(B)
Anesthesia induction and maintenance.
(C)
Subcutaneous and cutaneous tissue closure.
(D)
Anesthesia recovery.
(E)
Emergency and critical care considerations using techniques under the high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter model.
(4)
A certification program offered pursuant to this subdivision shall require a California-licensed veterinarian to successfully complete a number of ovariectomies, ovariohysterectomies, and gonadectomies under the high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter model, as determined by the program.
(5)
A certification program offered pursuant to this subdivision may charge a reasonable fee to cover the costs associated with offering the program to a California-licensed veterinarian or a California-registered veterinary technician. A fee charged pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid directly to the veterinary medical school offering the program.
(c)
A certification program offered pursuant to this section shall do all of the following:
(1)
Make available to the public low- or no-cost ovariectomies, ovariohysterectomies, or gonadectomies for cats and dogs that are performed by students or California-licensed veterinarians enrolled in the program.
(2)
Develop policies and procedures that prioritize qualifying for the services described in paragraph (1) based on, at a minimum, income and socioeconomic status.
(3)
Ensure that the training and care provided or coordinated by the program is at a standard of care that is consistent with those standards of care generally accepted within the veterinary profession.
(d)
A California veterinary
medical school that offers a certification program pursuant to this section shall publicly publish, every three years, a progress report that describes the activities of the program. The progress report shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following information:
(1)
The number of cat and dog ovariectomies, ovariohysterectomies, and gonadectomies performed under the program.
(2)
The number of certifications issued by the program.
(3)
The costs associated with implementing and administering the program.
(4)
The subsidized cost, if any, of surgical services provided to the public pursuant to subdivision (c).
(e)
A California veterinary medical school that offers a certification
program pursuant to this section shall determine the best available location or locations to host the program including, but not limited to, any of the following locations:
(1)
On-campus facilities.
(2)
A public animal control agency or shelter.
(3)
A society for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelter.
(4)
A humane society shelter.
(5)
A rescue group shelter.
(f)
This section shall not authorize a California-registered veterinary technician to perform surgical procedures.