§ 6711-B — Mandatory continuing education for veterinary technicians

§ 6711-b. Mandatory continuing education for veterinary technicians.\n1. (a) Each veterinary technician, licensed pursuant to this article,\nrequired to register triennially with the department to practice in this\nstate shall comply with the provisions of the mandatory continuing\neducation requirements, except as set forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) of\nthis subdivision. Veterinary technicians who do not satisfy the\nmandatory continuing education requirements shall not practice until\nthey have met such requirement and have been issued a registration or\nconditional registration certificate.\n (b) Veterinary technicians shall be exempt from the mandatory\ncontinuing education requirement for the triennial registration period\nduring which they are first licensed. In accordance with the intent of\nthis section, adjustments to the mandatory continuing education\nrequirement may be granted by the department for reasons of health,\ncertified by a physician, for extended active duty with the armed forces\nof the United States, or for other good cause acceptable to the\ndepartment which may prevent compliance. Veterinary technicians engaged\non a full-time basis in the teaching of veterinary medicine at a\nveterinary education program registered by the department or an\naccrediting organization acceptable to the department shall be exempt\nfrom the requirements of this section.\n (c) A licensed veterinary technician, not engaged in professional\npractice shall be exempt from the mandatory continuing education\nrequirement upon the filing of a statement with the department declaring\nsuch status. Any licensee who returns to the practice of veterinary\ntechnology shall notify the department prior to reentering the\nprofession and shall meet such mandatory continuing education\nrequirements as shall be prescribed by regulation of the commissioner.\n 2. During each triennial registration period an applicant for\nregistration shall complete a minimum of twenty-four hours of acceptable\nformal continuing education, a maximum of twelve hours of which may be\nself-instructional coursework acceptable to the department. Any\nveterinary technician whose first registration date following the\neffective date of this section occurs less than three years from such\neffective date, but on or after January first, two thousand twelve,\nshall complete continuing education hours on a prorated basis at the\nrate of one and one-quarter hours per month for the period beginning\nJanuary first, two thousand twelve up to the first registration date\nthereafter. A licensee who has not satisfied the mandatory continuing\neducation requirements shall not be issued a triennial registration\ncertificate by the department and shall not practice unless and until a\nconditional registration certificate is issued as provided in\nsubdivision three of this section, or until he or she has otherwise met\nthe requirements of this section. The individual licensee shall\ndetermine the selection of courses or programs of study pursuant to\nsubdivision four of this section.\n 3. The department, in its discretion, may issue a conditional\nregistration to a licensee who fails to meet the continuing education\nrequirements established in subdivision two of this section but who\nagrees to make up any deficiencies and take any additional education\nwhich the department may require. The fee for such a conditional\nregistration shall be the same as, and in addition to, the fee for the\ntriennial registration. The duration of such conditional registration\nshall be determined by the department. Any licensee who is notified of\nthe denial of registration for failure to submit evidence, satisfactory\nto the department, of completion of required continuing education and\nwho practices veterinary technology without such registration, may be\nsubject to disciplinary proceedings pursuant to section sixty-five\nhundred ten of this title.\n 4. As used in this section, "acceptable formal continuing education"\nshall mean formal programs of learning which contribute to professional\npractice of veterinary technology which are offered by sponsors of\nveterinary technician continuing education approved by the department,\nin consultation with the state board for veterinary medicine, to fulfill\nthe mandatory continuing education requirement. Sponsors of veterinary\ntechnician continuing education shall include state or national\nprofessional associations established to further the veterinary\nprofessions and shall include any affiliates of such associations\nincluding local veterinary medical societies and local veterinary\ntechnician societies and generally recognized state, national and\ninternational veterinary and veterinary technician conferences at which\nprofessional continuing education is a major component of such\nconferences, as well as universities and colleges offering programs\nleading to licensure in the veterinary medical professions. Sponsors of\nveterinary technician continuing education shall file an application\nwith the department and pay a fee of nine hundred dollars.\n 5. The mandatory continuing education fee shall be established by the\ndepartment, and shall be payable on or before the first day of each\ntriennial registration period, and shall be paid in addition to the\ntriennial registration fee required by section sixty-seven hundred\neleven of this article.\n