Regulatory

Oklahoma City, Okla. - State lawmakers are considering an income tax credit for an equine horse slaughter facility.

Charleston, W.V. - Some West Virginia lawmakers want to change the requirements and scope of practice for registered veterinary technicians.

Jefferson City, Mo. - Missouri legislation seeks to limit animal-rights arguments in cases of non-economic damages.

Honolulu - Veterinarians may no longer have to report prescription information to the state in Hawaii if new legislation passes.

Honolulu - State lawmakers are again calling for mandatory sterilization of puppies and kittens sold through pet stores.

Nashville - Shortly after the federal government re-opened the door to horse slaughter for human consumption in the United States, Tennessee legislators are working to keep it out of the state.

Pierre, S.D. - South Dakota lawmakers want a new study to examine the feasibility of establishing an equine processing plant in the state.

Jackson, Miss. - The Mississippi Board of Veterinary Medicine filed a new rule stating that only veterinarians licensed in the state may diagnose pregnancies in livestock.

Nashville - New legislation proposed in Tennessee would crack down on dangerous animal ownership.

Honolulu - Hawaii veterinarians are facing new continuing education requirements if Senate Bill 2522 passes.

Phoenix, Ariz. - Veterinary services may soon be hit with a 6 percent retail tax.

Oklahoma City, Okla. - Oklahoma lawmakers are trying to redefine the certification process for animal massage and acupressure.

Olympia, Wash. - Some Washington lawmakers want veterinarians exempted from submitting data as part of the state's prescription monitoring program.

Sacramento, Calif. - California lawmakers are working to create new licensing requirements for pet groomers that will be overseen by the state's veterinary medical board.

Montpelier, Vt. - Vermont is considering a new law that would allow pet owners to recover non-economic damages.

Jefferson City, Mo. - Missouri lawmakers crafted new legislation that would create a new monitoring system for prescribing and dispensing all schedule II, III, IV and V controlled substances.

Jefferson City, Mo. - If a proposed state law passes, anyone employed by an animal agricultural operation who records suspected animal abuse could be obligated to turn over the unedited recording to law enforcement within 24 hours.

Montpelier, Vt. - Vermont is the latest state to consider new rules for the confinement of sows.

Boston - Veterinarians might be excluded from compliance with the Massachusetts Prescription Monitoring Program is a proposed bill passes.

Boston - Random inspections by the Massachusetts state board resulted in fines for 20 veterinary hospitals for having expired medications

The agency notes that majority of dairy-related illnesses are linked to raw milk.

Olympia, Wash. - A new bill in Washington state seeks to assemble a livestock care board to create and oversee minimum care standards for livestock and poultry.

Montgomery, Ala. - New Alabama legislation aims at changing practice ownership rules for tax-exempt practices.

Albany, N.Y. -- Some New York legislators want healthcare practitioners--including veterinarians--to start checking a controlled-substance-abuse registry before prescribing some medications.

Raleigh, N.C. -- The push for the legal system to award non-economic damages was thwarted again in North Carolina.

Trenton, N.J. - A bill enacted in New Jersey Dec. 5 establishes a new sterilization pilot program for adopted dogs and cats.

Anchorage - A new bill in Alaska spells out new rules for unlicensed veterinary care and disciplinary actions filed against veterinarians.

Omaha, Neb. - Nebraska lawmakers introduced a new bill that would make it a felony to seek employment at an animal facility with the intention of disrupting operations.