TITLE: Relating to the supervision required for certain persons who administer rabies vaccinations.

SUMMARY: Relating to the supervision required for certain persons who administer rabies vaccinations.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to the supervision required for certain persons who administer rabies vaccinations. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 826.023, Health and Safety Code, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: (a) Except as provided by Subsection (f), rabies [Rabies] vaccine for animals may be administered only by or under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. (f) A trained staff member of a municipal or county animal shelter may administer rabies vaccine to an animal kept or impounded at the animal shelter under the general supervision of a veterinarian. For the purposes of this subsection, "animal shelter" has the meaning assigned by Section 823.001 and "general supervision" has the meaning assigned by Section 801.002, Occupations Code. SECTION 2. Subchapter H, Chapter 801, Occupations Code, is amended by adding Section 801.3515 to read as follows: Sec. 801.3515. EXCEPTION TO VETERINARIAN-CLIENT-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP REQUIREMENT FOR CERTAIN PERSONS WHO ADMINISTER RABIES VACCINE. A person who administers rabies vaccine under the general supervision of a veterinarian as provided by Section 826.023(f), Health and Safety Code, and the veterinarian who provides that supervision are not required to establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship before administering the rabies vaccine. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.