NY Educ L § 6704-A (2021)
2021 New York Laws EDN - Education Title 8 - The Professions Article 135 - Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health Technology 6704-A - Mandatory Continuing Education for Veterinarians.

§  6704-a.  Mandatory  continuing  education for veterinarians. 1. (a) Each veterinarian,  licensed  pursuant  to  this  article,  required  to register triennially with the department to practice in this state shall comply  with  the  provisions  of  the  mandatory  continuing  education requirements, except as set forth in paragraphs  (b)  and  (c)  of  this subdivision.  Veterinarians  who do not satisfy the mandatory continuing education requirements shall not  practice  until  they  have  met  such requirements   and  have  been  issued  a  registration  or  conditional registration certificate.  (b) Veterinarians  shall  be  exempt  from  the  mandatory  continuing education requirement for the triennial registration period during which they  are first licensed. In accordance with the intent of this section, adjustments to the mandatory continuing  education  requirement  may  be granted  by  the  department  for  reasons  of  health,  certified  by a physician, for extended active duty with the armed forces of the  United States,  or  for other good cause acceptable to the department which may prevent compliance. Veterinarians engaged on a full-time  basis  in  the teaching  of  veterinary  medicine  at  a  veterinary  education program registered by the department or accredited or approved by an  acceptable accrediting  organization  shall be exempt from the requirements of this section.  (c) A licensed veterinarian not engaged in professional practice shall be exempt from the mandatory continuing education requirement  upon  the filing  of  a  statement  with the department declaring such status. Any licensee who returns to the practice of veterinary medicine shall notify the department prior to reentering the profession and  shall  meet  such mandatory  continuing  education  requirements as shall be prescribed by regulation of the commissioner.   2. (a) During each triennial  registration  period  an  applicant  for registration  shall complete a minimum of forty-five hours of acceptable formal continuing education, a maximum of twenty-two and one-half  hours of   which  may  be  self-instructional  coursework  acceptable  to  the department.  (i)  Self-instructional  coursework  may  include  free  spaying   and neutering   and   other   veterinary  services  in  conjunction  with  a municipality,  duly  incorporated   not-for-profit   society   for   the prevention  of  cruelty to animals, duly incorporated humane society, or duly incorporated animal protection association  or  persons  who  would otherwise  be  eligible  under  paragraph  (a)  of  subdivision three of section one hundred seventeen-a of  the  agriculture  and  markets  law, provided that such services be administered at practices, facilities and properties  that  are appropriately equipped and staffed to provide such services.  (ii) The department may offset up to  three  hours  of  the  requisite number  of  hours  of  continuing  education  required  pursuant to this paragraph by the number of free spaying and neutering services  rendered by  an  applicant,  at  a  rate  of  one-half  of one hour of continuing education for each hour of free spaying and neutering services, provided that a veterinarian shall be required to provide follow-up  service  for any  post-operative  complications  related  to  the  surgery that arise within twenty-four hours of performing the surgery, and  shall  also  be required   to   complete   the  core  requirements  established  by  the department.  (b) Any veterinarian  whose  first  registration  date  following  the effective  date  of  this section occurs less than three years from such effective date, but on or after  January  first,  two  thousand  twelve, shall  complete  continuing  education  hours on a prorated basis at the rate of one and one-quarter hours per month  for  the  period  beginning  January  first,  two  thousand  twelve up to the first registration date thereafter. A licensee who has not satisfied  the  mandatory  continuing education  requirements  shall  not  be  issued a triennial registration certificate  by the department and shall not practice unless and until a conditional  registration  certificate  is   issued   as   provided   in subdivision  three of this section, or until he or she has otherwise met the  requirements  of  this  section.  The  individual  licensee   shall determine  the  selection  of  courses  or programs of study pursuant to subdivision four of this section.   3.  The  department,  in  its  discretion,  may  issue  a  conditional registration  to  a  licensee who fails to meet the continuing education requirements established in subdivision two  of  this  section  but  who agrees  to  make  up  any deficiencies and take any additional education which the department  may  require.  The  fee  for  such  a  conditional registration  shall  be the same as, and in addition to, the fee for the triennial registration. The duration of  such  conditional  registration shall  be  determined by the department. Any licensee who is notified of the denial of registration for failure to submit evidence,  satisfactory to  the  department,  of completion of required continuing education and who practices veterinary medicine  without  such  registration,  may  be subject  to  disciplinary  proceedings  pursuant  to  section sixty-five hundred ten of this title.   4. As used in this section, "acceptable formal  continuing  education" shall  mean formal programs of learning which contribute to professional practice of  veterinary  medicine  which  are  offered  by  sponsors  of veterinary   continuing   education   approved  by  the  department,  in consultation with the state board for veterinary  medicine,  to  fulfill the  mandatory  continuing education requirement. Sponsors of veterinary continuing  education  shall  include  state  or  national  professional associations  established  to  further  the  veterinary professions, and shall include  any  affiliates  of  such  associations  including  local veterinary  medical  societies  and generally recognized state, national and  international  veterinary   conferences   at   which   professional continuing  education  is a major component of such conferences, as well as universities and colleges offering programs leading to  licensure  in the  veterinary  medical  professions.  Sponsors  of veterinary medicine continuing education shall file an application with the  department  and pay a fee of nine hundred dollars.   5.  The mandatory continuing education fee shall be established by the department, and shall be payable on or before  the  first  day  of  each triennial  registration  period,  and  shall  be paid in addition to the triennial registration fee required by section sixty-seven hundred  four of this article.