Iowa Code § 169.5 — IA Code / Title V / Chapter 169 / Section 169.5
Board of veterinary medicine.
Status: in_force

(1) (a) The governor shall appoint, subject to confirmation by the senate pursuant to section 2.32, a board of five individuals, three of whom shall be licensed veterinarians and two of whom shall not be licensed veterinarians and shall represent the general public, one of whom shall be a farmer involved in the production of agricultural animals. The board shall be known as the Iowa board of veterinary medicine.

(1) (b) Each licensed veterinarian board member shall be actively engaged in veterinary medicine and shall have been so engaged for a period of five years immediately preceding appointment, the last two of which shall have been in Iowa. The representatives of the general public shall be knowledgeable in the area of animal husbandry. A member of the board shall not be employed by or have any material or financial interest in any wholesale or jobbing house dealing in supplies, equipment, or instruments used or useful in the practice of veterinary medicine.

(1) (c) Professional associations or societies composed of licensed veterinarians may recommend the names of potential board members to the governor, but the governor is not bound by the recommendations.

(2) The members of the board shall be appointed for a term of three years, except the terms of the members of the initial board shall be rotated in such a manner that at least one member shall retire each year and a successor be appointed. The term of each member shall commence and end as provided by section 69.19. Members shall serve no more than three terms or nine years total, whichever is less. Any vacancy in the membership of the board caused by death, resignation, removal, or otherwise, shall be filled for the period of the unexpired term in the same manner as original appointments.

(3) Necessary meetings may be called by the president of the board by giving proper notice. Except as provided, a majority of the board constitutes a quorum. Meetings shall be open and public except that the board may meet in closed session to prepare, approve, administer, or grade examinations, or to deliberate the qualifications of an applicant for license or the disposition of a proceeding to discipline a licensed veterinarian.

(4) The board shall organize by electing a president and such other officers as may be necessary. Officers of the board serve for terms of one year and until a successor is elected, without limitation on the number of terms an officer may serve. The president shall serve as chairperson of board meetings. The person designated as the state veterinarian shall serve as secretary of the board.

(5) The duties of the board shall include carrying on the correspondence of the board, keeping permanent accounts and records of all receipts and disbursements by the board and of all board proceedings, including the disposition of all applications for a license, and keeping a register of all persons currently licensed by the board. The representatives of the general public shall not prepare, grade, or otherwise administer examinations to applicants for a license to practice veterinary medicine. All board records shall be open to public inspection during regular office hours.

(6) Members of the board shall set their own per diem compensation, at a rate not exceeding the per diem specified in section 7E.6 for each day actually engaged in the discharge of their duties, as well as compensation for necessary traveling and other expenses. Compensation for veterinarian members of the board shall include compensation for the time spent traveling to and from the place of conducting the examination and for a reasonable number of days for the preparation of examination and the reading of papers, in addition to the time actually spent in conducting examinations, within the limits of funds appropriated to the board.

(7) Upon a three-fifths vote, the board may:

(7) (a) Examine and determine the qualifications and fitness of applicants for a license to practice veterinary medicine in the state.

(7) (b) Issue, renew, or deny issuance or renewal of licenses and temporary permits to practice veterinary medicine in this state.

(7) (c) Establish and publish annually a schedule of fees for licensing and registration of veterinarians. The fees shall be set by rule and shall include fees for a license to practice veterinary medicine issued upon the basis of the examination, a license granted on the basis of reciprocity, a renewal of a license to practice veterinary medicine, a certified statement that a licensee is licensed to practice in this state, and an issuance of a duplicate license when the original is lost or destroyed. The fee schedule shall be based on the board’s anticipated financial requirements for the year, which shall include but not be limited to the following:

(7) (c) Per diem, expenses, and travel of board members.

(7) (c) Costs to the department for administration of this chapter.

(7) (d) Conduct investigations for the purpose of discovering violations of this chapter or grounds for disciplining licensed veterinarians.

(7) (e) Hold hearings on all matters properly brought before the board and administer oaths, receive evidence, make the necessary determinations, and enter orders consistent with the findings. The board may require by subpoena the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of papers, records, or other documentary evidence and commission depositions. An administrative law judge may be appointed pursuant to section 17A.11 to perform those functions which properly repose in an administrative law judge.

(7) (f) Employ full-time or part-time personnel, professional, clerical, or special, as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this chapter.

(7) (g) Appoint from its own membership one or more members to act as representatives of the board at any meeting within or without the state where such representation is deemed desirable.

(7) (h) Bring proceedings in the courts for the enforcement of this chapter or any regulations made pursuant to this chapter.

(7) (i) Adopt, amend, or repeal rules relating to the qualifications, standards of conduct, the supervision of tasks delegated to veterinary auxiliary personnel by a licensed veterinarian, and disciplinary action of veterinary auxiliary personnel for whom the board has issued a certificate or permit. The rules may provide for the testing of individuals who apply to be issued a certificate of registration as a veterinary technician, apply to be issued a renewal of a certificate of registration, or apply to be reissued a certificate of registration; and the suspension or revocation of a certificate of registration.

(7) (j) Adopt, amend, or repeal all rules necessary for its government and all regulations necessary to carry into effect the provision of this chapter, including the establishment and publication of standards of professional conduct for the practice of veterinary medicine.

(7) (k) Adopt, amend, or repeal rules requiring a veterinarian to have a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship, except in the case of an emergency, before practicing veterinary medicine on an animal, including by acting as a supervising veterinarian.

(8) The powers enumerated in subsection 7 are granted for the purpose of enabling the board to effectively supervise the practice of veterinary medicine and are to be construed liberally to accomplish this objective.

(9) A person who provides veterinary medical services, owns a veterinary clinic, or practices in this state shall obtain a certificate from the board and be subject to the same standards of conduct, as provided in this chapter and rules adopted by the board, as apply to a licensed veterinarian, unless the board determines that the same standards of conduct are inapplicable. The board shall issue, renew, or deny a certificate; adopt rules relating to the standards of conduct; and take disciplinary action against the person, including suspension or revocation of a certificate, in accordance with the procedures established in section 169.14. Certification fees shall be established by the board pursuant to subsection 7, paragraph “j”. Certification fees shall be established in an amount sufficient to fully offset the costs of certification pursuant to this subsection. Certification fees shall be deposited in the general fund of the state and are appropriated to the department to administer the certification provisions of this subsection. This subsection shall not apply to an animal shelter, as defined in section 162.2, that provides veterinary medical services to animals in the custody of the shelter.

(10) The department shall furnish the board with all articles and supplies required for the public use and necessary to enable the board to perform the duties imposed upon it by law. Such articles and supplies shall be obtained by the department in the same manner in which the regular supplies for the department are obtained, and the department shall assess the costs to the board for such articles and supplies. The board shall also reimburse the department for direct and indirect administrative costs incurred in issuing and renewing the licenses.

[S13, §2538-f, -h, -i, -j, -t; C24, 27, 31, 35, §2799-d1, -d5; C39, §2773, 2777-2780, 2782, 2784, 2785, 2799.1, 2799.5; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §169.11, 169.15 – 169.19, 169.21, 169.22, 169.37, 169.41; C79, 81, §169.5]83 Acts, ch 115, §4; 84 Acts, ch 1067, §23; 88 Acts, ch 1109, §17; 90 Acts, ch 1256, §31; 98 Acts, ch 1202, §32, 46; 2000 Acts, ch 1183, §1, 3; 2001 Acts, ch 24, §70, 74; 2005 Acts, ch 159, §1; 2009 Acts, ch 133, §722023 Acts, ch 155, §8, 9, 24; 2024 Acts, ch 1170, §96, 241; 2025 Acts, ch 134, §34