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29FDA9EC95C1CDB687258273005994A7 Hearing Summary




PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For SB18-239

SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES, & ENERGY
Date Apr 18, 2018      
Location SCR 357



SB18-239 - Referred to the Committee of the Whole - Consent Calendar


10:18:30 AM  

Senator Marble, prime-sponsor, discussed the provisions of Senate Bill18-239 concerning animal chiropractic education and reporting requirements. This bill removes the requirement that a registered animal chiropractor receive medical clearance by a licensed veterinarian to perform animal chiropractic treatment if certain education and training requirements are met. Specifically, the chiropractor must complete a one-hour jurisprudence course concerning the laws, rules, and procedures for the identification and notification of certain contagious, infectious, and zoonotic diseases, and completes an eight-hour course on recognizing the earlier indicators and clinical signs of various diseases in dog and equid patients. The bill sets forth the standards for the course and specifies that a chiropractor is not required to retake the courses to renew or reinstate his or her registration to practice animal chiropractic. In addition, the bill requires that two hours of continuing education, out of the current 20-hour requirement, be focused on contagious, infectious, and zoonotic diseases. When treating an animal patient, the chiropractor must notify the licensed veterinarian treating the animal within seven days, or if there is no veterinarian of record, provide documentation on the treatment to the person bringing the animal for treatment. If a chiropractor suspects that the animal patient has had exposure to or is exhibiting symptoms of certain contagious diseases, he or she must stop treatment and notify the animal's licensed veterinarian and the State Veterinarian in the Department of Agriculture.

10:21:26 AM  

Diane Mett, Colorado Veterinary Medical Association, spoke in support of the bill and distributed background information on the bill [Attachment B].

10:24:05 AM  
Rachel Wendt, Colorado Chiropractic Association,
spoke in support of the bill.  She also responded to questions from
the committee about the bill and training for animal chiropractics.  
10:25:49 AM  
Roland Halpern, Colorado Voters for Animals, spoke in support of the bill.
10:27:19 AM  
Dr. Alex Turner, Colorado Department of Agriculture, spoke in support of the bill.
10:27:50 AM  
Senator Marble responded to questions from the committee about the bill.
10:31:30 AM  
The chair closed testimony and Senator Marble closed her comments on the bill.


10:34:01 AM
Motion Refer Senate Bill 18-239 to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar.
Moved Marble
Seconded
Cooke Yes
Coram Yes
Donovan Yes
Fenberg Yes
Fields Yes
Garcia Yes
Jones Yes
Marble Yes
Scott Excused
Grantham Yes
Sonnenberg Yes
Final YES: 10   NO: 0   EXC: 1   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  PASS