Okla. Stat. tit. 59 § 698.7

Current through Laws 2024, c. 453.

Section 698.7 - Powers and duties of Board

The State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners shall have the powers and it shall also be its duty to regulate the practice of veterinary medicine. In addition to any other powers placed on it by the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act or as otherwise provided by law, the Board shall have the power and duty to:

a. set standards for licensure or certification by examination and develop such examinations as will provide assurance of competency to practice, and

b. employ or enter into agreements with organizations or agencies to provide examinations acceptable to the Board or employ or enter into agreements with organizations or agencies to provide administration, preparation or scoring of examinations;

2. Set fees;

3. Prescribe the time, place, method, manner, scope and subjects of examination for licensure;

4. Prepare or select, conduct or direct the conduct of, set minimum requirements for and assure security of licensing and other required examinations;

a. issue or deny licenses and certificates and renewals thereof,

b. acquire information about and evaluate the professional education and training of applicants for licensure or certification; and accept or deny applications for licensure, certification or renewal of either licensure or certification based on the evaluation of information relating to applicant fitness, performance or competency to practice,

c. determine which professional schools, colleges, universities, training institutions and educational programs are acceptable in connection with licensure pursuant to the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act, and accept the approval of such facilities and programs by American-Veterinary-Medical-Association-accredited institutions in the United States and Canada,

d. require supporting documentation or other acceptable verifying evidence for any information provided the Board by an applicant for licensure or certification, and

e. require information on an applicant's fitness, qualification and previous professional record and performance from recognized data sources including, but not limited to, other licensing and disciplinary authorities of other jurisdictions, professional education and training institutions, liability insurers, animal health care institutions and law enforcement agencies;

6. Develop and use applications and other necessary forms and related procedures for purposes of the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act;

a. review and investigate complaints and adverse information about licensees and certificate holders,

b. conduct hearings in accordance with the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act and the Administrative Procedures Act, and

c. adjudicate matters that come before the Board for judgment pursuant to the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act upon clear and convincing evidence and issue final decisions on such matters to discipline licensees and certificate holders;

a. impose sanctions, deny licenses and certificates and renewals thereof, levy reimbursement costs, seek appropriate administrative, civil or criminal penalties or any combination of these against those who violate examination security, who attempt to or who do obtain licensure or certification by fraud, who knowingly assist in illegal activities or who aid and abet the illegal practice of veterinary medicine,

b. review and investigate complaints and adverse information about licensees and certificate holders,

c. discipline licensees and certificate holders,

d. institute proceedings in courts of competent jurisdiction to enforce Board orders and provisions of the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act,

(1) establish mechanisms for dealing with licensees and certificate holders who abuse or are dependent on or addicted to alcohol or other chemical substances, and enter into agreements, at its discretion, with professional organizations whose relevant procedures and techniques it has evaluated and approved for their cooperation or participation in the rehabilitation of the licensee or certificate holder,

(2) establish by rules cooperation with other professional organizations for the identification and monitoring of licensees and certificate holders in treatment who are chemically dependent or addicted, and

f. issue conditional, restricted or otherwise circumscribed modifications to licensure or certification as determined to be appropriate by due process procedures and summarily suspend a license if the Board has cause to believe by clear and convincing evidence such action is required to protect public or animal health and safety or to prevent continuation of incompetent practices;

9. Promulgate rules of professional conduct and require all licensees and certificate holders to practice in accordance therewith;

10. Act to halt the unlicensed or illegal practice of veterinary medicine and seek administrative, criminal and civil penalties against those engaged in such practice;

11. Establish appropriate fees and charges to ensure active and effective pursuit of Board responsibilities;

12. Employ, direct, reimburse, evaluate and dismiss staff in accordance with state procedures;

13. Establish policies for Board operations;

14. Respond to legislative inquiry regarding those changes in, or amendments to, the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act;

15. Act on its own motion in disciplinary matters, administer oaths, issue notices, issue subpoenas in the name of the State of Oklahoma including subpoenas for client and animal records, hold hearings, institute court proceedings for contempt or to compel testimony or obedience to its orders and subpoenas, take evidentiary depositions and perform such other acts as are reasonable and necessary under law to carry out its duties;

16. Use clear and convincing evidence as the standard of proof and issue final decisions when acting as trier of fact in the performance of its adjudicatory duties;

17. Determine and direct Board operating, administrative, personnel and budget policies and procedures in accordance with applicable statutes;

18. Promulgate uniform rules such as may be necessary for carrying out and enforcing the provisions of the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act and such as in its discretion may be necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public;

19. Determine continuing education requirements. Such continuing education shall include not less than one (1) hour of education in pain management or one (1) hour of education in opioid use or addiction annually, unless the licensee has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Board that the licensee does not currently hold a valid federal Drug Enforcement Administration registration number;

20. Establish minimum standards for veterinary premises;

21. Establish standards for veterinary labeling and dispensing of veterinary prescription drugs and federal Food and Drug Administration-approved human drugs for animals which would conform to current applicable state and federal law and regulations;

22. Promulgate rules such as may be necessary for carrying out and enforcing provisions relating to certification of animal euthanasia technicians and approval of drugs to be used for euthanasia of animals in an animal shelter pursuant to the requirements of Section 502 of Title 4 of the Oklahoma Statutes;

23. Shall conduct a national criminal history records search for certified animal euthanasia technicians:

a. the applicant shall furnish the Board two completed fingerprint cards and a money order or cashier's check made payable to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation,

b. the Board shall forward the fingerprint cards, along with the applicable fee for a national fingerprint criminal history records search, to the Bureau, and

c. the Bureau shall retain one set of fingerprints in the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and submit the other set to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for a national criminal history records search;

24. Establish standards for animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment. The standards shall include but not be limited to a requirement that a veterinarian who holds himself or herself out to the public as certified to engage in animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment shall:

a. carry at least One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) of additional malpractice coverage to perform animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment, and

b. have appropriate training in animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment. The Veterinary Examining Board shall have the authority to establish educational criteria for certification standards in animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment. The Veterinary Examining Board shall work in conjunction with the Board of Chiropractic Examiners to establish comparable standards for the practice of animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment for both medical professions within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act. The Board shall certify any licensed veterinarian wishing to engage in animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment who meets the standards established by the Board pursuant to this paragraph. Upon request, the Board shall make available to the public a list of licensed veterinarians so certified;

25. Give scholarships, as determined by the Board, to an individual advancing toward obtaining a degree in veterinary medicine from an Oklahoma higher education institution and take such other action as may be reasonably necessary or appropriate to effectuate the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act. The Board may, at its discretion, contract with other state agencies and nonprofit corporations for the endowment, management and administration of scholarships. The requirements of such scholarships shall be determined by the Board. However, nothing contained herein shall be construed as requiring the Board to endow or award any scholarship; and

26. Perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as the provisions and enforcement of the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act may require.

Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 698.7

Amended by Laws 2021 , c. 564, s. 4, eff. 11/1/2021.

Amended by Laws 2019 , c. 428, s. 14, eff. 5/21/2019.

Laws 1971, HB 1263, c. 126, § 7, emerg. eff. 5/4/1971; Amended by Laws 1982, SB 375, c. 192, § 3, emerg. eff. 4/22/1982; Amended by Laws 1990, SB 664, c. 314, § 6, eff. 9/1/1990; Amended by Laws 1997, SB 308, c. 143, §1, eff. 11/1/1997; Amended by Laws 1999 , HB 1344, c. 94, §8, eff. 11/1/1999; Amended by Laws 2000 , SB 838, c. 131, §5, eff. 11/1/2000(repealed by Laws 2000 , SB 1608, c. 334, §6, eff. 11/1/2000); Amended by Laws 2000 , HB 2353, c. 199, §5, eff. 11/1/2000; Amended by Laws 2000 , SB 1608, c. 334, §6, eff. 11/1/2000; Amended by Laws 2002 , HB 2109, c. 172, §2, eff. 11/1/2002.