Chiropractors: animal chiropractic practitioners.

Existing law, the Chiropractic Act, enacted by an initiative measure, provides for the licensure and regulation of chiropractors by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor. Existing law, the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of veterinarians and the practice of veterinary medicine by the Veterinary Medical Board. This bill would establish a scheme for a licensed chiropractor to be registered by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners as an animal chiropractic practitioner and would prohibit a chiropractor from practicing animal chiropractic without being registered as an animal chiropractic practitioner unless they are under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The bill would establish requirements for registration as an animal chiropractic practitioner, including holding a certification from one of specified credentialing organizations or a credentialing organization specified by the board. The bill would establish requirements for practicing animal chiropractic and registering an animal chiropractic premises with the board. The bill would require the board, by regulation, to establish fees for registering an animal chiropractic premises. By authorizing new fees to be deposited into the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners' Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would require an animal chiropractic practitioner to comply with regulations of the board applicable to chiropractors, would authorize the board to adopt regulations necessary to implement the bill's provisions, and would require the board, if adopting specified regulations, to consult with the Veterinary Medical Board, including regulations regarding standards of medicine or care for an animal. The bill would make an animal chiropractic practitioner exempt from the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act. By expanding the scope of a crime under the Chiropractic Initiative Act, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.