AUSTIN – Two new laws – including one giving the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (TBVME) the authority to issue immediate license revocation emergency orders against licensees and facilities – go into effect on September 1.
All veterinary medical facilities will be required to register with TBVME, and the board will have the authority to adopt and enforce facility standards, including safety and sanitation, handling of controlled substances and patient care.
Also, thanks to $500,000 allocated by the Legislature, TBVME will be able to expand its electronic database, giving Texans greater access to research the history and licensing status of veterinary professionals, including any complaints, inspections, and enforcement action against them. This additional information will help consumers make better-informed decisions regarding the care of their animals.
Lawmakers also extended the time until the board’s next review by the Texas Sunset Commission. In 2023, the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners was attached to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for policy-making and administrative oversight, guidance, and support. TBVME will revert to its status as an independent agency in 2027 and the Sunset Commission will conduct another review in 2033.
“We appreciate the Legislature’s trust in the work we’ve done in the past two years to improve agency processes and procedures. The additional funding for our database will ensure that Texans will have current, accurate information about the professionals providing care for their beloved animals,” said Brittanny Sharkey, TBVME executive director.
The laws:
- HB 500 allocates $500,000 in general revenue to expand the TBVME electronic database, allowing Texans access to complaints, inspections, and enforcement action against veterinary licensees.
- SB 2155 requires all facilities where veterinary medicine is practiced, including veterinary clinics, hospitals and mobile practices, to register with TBVME. The measure also gives authority to the TBVME Executive Director, upon determining that the public’s health and safety are at risk, to issue an immediate emergency order to suspend or revoke a veterinary professional’s license or temporarily shut down an unsafe veterinary medical facility. Previously, the agency was often required to prosecute a simple cease-and-desist order at the State Office of Administrative Hearings; instead, the Executive Director can directly issue the initial order, reducing the amount of time that elapses when a dangerous situation is discovered.
