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An Act To Amend the Maine Veterinary Practice Act Relating to Alternative Therapy or Collaborative Treatment
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §4853, sub-§1-B  is enacted to read:
 
1-B.  Alternative therapy or collaborative treatment.     "Alternative therapy or collaborative treatment" means any therapy or treatment that is an alternative to or complementary to conventional medicine, including, but not limited to, acupuncture, dentistry, homeopathic or chiropractic procedures and physical or massage therapy.
Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §4853, sub-§4-B, as amended by PL 2015, c. 209, §5, is further amended to read:
 
4-B. Indirect supervision.   "Indirect supervision" means any time when a supervisor is not on the premises but is quickly and easily available for consultation on patient care.
Sec. 3. 32 MRSA §4853, sub-§7, ¶A, as amended by PL 2015, c. 209, §7, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
 
A.  The diagnosis, treatment, correction, change, relief or prevention of animal disease, deformity, defect, injury or other physical or mental condition, including:
 
(1) The prescription or administration of a drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, application, anesthetic or other imaging, therapeutic or diagnostic technique or nutritional substance or technique on, for or to any animal;
 
(2) Surgery, including elective surgery; and
 
(3) Any manual, mechanical, biological or chemical procedure used for pregnancy testing or correcting sterility or infertility;
Sec. 4.  32 MRSA §4879  is enacted to read:
§ 4879. Alternative therapy or collaborative treatment
A person may not provide alternative therapy or collaborative treatment to an animal unless the person:
 
1.  License, registration or certification; education.     Holds a license, registration or certification issued by the entity in the State responsible for licensing, registration or certification for the alternative therapy or collaborative treatment or meets the educational requirements determined by the board through rulemaking;
 
2.  Referral.     Possesses a referral from a licensed veterinarian; and
 
3.  Supervision.     Is under the direct supervision or indirect supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
For the purposes of this section, "referral" means a prescription from a licensed veterinarian prescribing alternative therapy or collaborative treatment for an animal identified in the prescription. The board shall adopt rules implementing this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes a person to provide alternative therapy or collaborative treatment to an animal only if the person holds a license, registration or certification from the entity in the State responsible for issuing licenses, certifications or registrations for the alternative therapy or collaborative treatment or meets certain educational requirements, has a referral to provide the alternative therapy or collaborative treatment from a licensed veterinarian and is under the direct or indirect supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The bill also defines "alternative therapy or collaborative treatment" to include acupuncture, dentistry, homeopathic or chiropractic procedures and physical or massage therapy.