Regulatory

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.

Charleston, W.V. - A new bill in West Virginia is seeking to exempt veterinary medications from consumer sales and service taxes.

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. - 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.

Tallahassee, Fla. - Florida lawmakers are considering a new bill that would require all healthcare professionals-including veterinarians-to wear name badges clearly displaying their credentials when rendering services.

National Report - U.S. officials banned the import of four snake species in an effort to protect the Everglades National Park in Florida.

Topeka, Kan. - The Kansas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners recently amended minimum standards for veterinary practices.

Denver, Colo. - The Colorado veterinary board amended a number of regulations from a definition on veterinary dentistry to rules on waiving a valid veterinarian-patient relationship in times of emergency.

Winnipeg, Canada -- Manitoba veterinarians who perform cosmetic ear cropping on dogs could lose their veterinary licenses, according to veterinary regulators.

Rockville, Md. -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a safety warning to veterinarians about the use (and purchase) of some hand-held dental X-ray units sold over the Internet from foreign sources.

Rockville, Md. -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to tackle anthelmintic resistance in horses and ruminants during a two-day public meeting in March.