SB 1658 — veterinary technicians; certification; education alternative

Intentionally or knowingly subjects a domestic animal to cruel mistreatment.

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1658 15.

Intentionally or knowingly kills a domestic animal without either legal privilege or consent of the domestic animal's owner or handler.

16.

Intentionally or knowingly harasses a working animal that is in a law enforcement vehicle or trailer without either legal privilege or consent of the owner.

17.

INTENTIONALLY, KNOWINGLY OR RECKLESSLY FAILS TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ATTENTION NECESSARY TO PREVENT UNREASONABLE SUFFERING TO ANY DOMESTIC ANIMAL UNDER THE PERSON'S CUSTODY OR CONTROL.

TheIt applicantis shalla bedefense atto leastsubsection eighteenA years of agethis andsection shallif: furnish EITHER:

SatisfactoryAny evidenceperson ofexposes graduationpoison fromto be taken by a two-yeardog curriculumthat inhas veterinarykilled technology,or wounded livestock or poison to be taken by predatory animals on premises owned, leased or controlled by the equivalentperson for the purpose of suchprotecting graduationthe asperson determinedor bythe person's livestock or poultry, the board,treated inproperty ais collegekept posted by the person who authorized or otherperformed institutionthe approvedtreatment until the poison has been removed and the poison is removed by the board.person exposing the poison after the threat to the person or the person's livestock or poultry has ceased to exist.

The posting required shall provide adequate warning to persons who enter the property by the point or points of normal entry.

The warning notice that is posted shall be readable at a distance of fifty feet, shall contain a poison statement and symbol and shall state the word "danger" or "warning".

AAny RECORDperson OFuses HAVING,poisons UNDERin THEand SUPERVISIONimmediately OFaround ANbuildings ESTABLISHEDowned, NONPROFITleased INor THIScontrolled STATEby THATthe WORKSperson WITHfor ANIMALSthe ANDpurpose PARTNERSof WITHcontrolling Awild VETERINARYand SCHOOL,domestic EITHERrodents FIVEas YEARSotherwise OFallowed ON-THE-JOBby TRAININGthe ORlaws WORKINGof FORthe FIVEstate, YEARSexcluding UNDERany THEfur-bearing DIRECTanimals SUPERVISIONas OFdefined Ain LICENSEDsection VETERINARIAN,17-101. DURING WHICH TIME THE APPLICANT LEARNED SKILLS PURSUANT TO THE VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY STUDENT ESSENTIAL AND RECOMMENDED SKILL PRESCRIBED BY THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION'S CENTER FOR VETERINARY EDUCATION ACCREDITATION'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.

THE BOARD SHALL ADOPT RULES GOVERNING THE NUMBER OF HOURS REQUIRED FOR EACH SKILL.

AN APPLICANT WHO SATISFIES THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ALTERNATIVE ROUTE OF CERTIFICATION IS ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THE VETERINARY TECHNICIAN NATIONAL EXAMINATION AND ANY STATE EXAMINATION FOR VETERINARY TECHNICIANS APPROVED BY THE BOARD.

THE SUPERVISED WORK OR TRAINING MUST BE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN ESTABLISHED NONPROFIT IN THIS STATE THAT WORKS WITH ANIMALS AND PARTNERS WITH A VETERINARY SCHOOL, IS SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY THE BOARD AND MUST INCLUDE:

(a) A DESCRIPTION OF THE SKILL OR SKILLS THE APPLICANT DEVELOPED.

(b) THE SIGNATURE OF THE LICENSED VETERINARIAN WHO DIRECTLY SUPERVISED THE APPLICANT WHILE THE APPLICANT WORKED ON THE SKILL.

TheThis applicationsection shalldoes benot accompaniedprohibit byor therestrict: application and examination fee established by the board.

1.

The taking of wildlife or other activities permitted by or pursuant to title 17.

2.

Activities permitted by or pursuant to title 3.

3.

Activities regulated by the Arizona game and fish department or the Arizona department of agriculture.

AnA applicantpeace fromofficer, anotheranimal statecontrol isenforcement notagent requiredor animal control enforcement deputy may use reasonable force to retakeopen thea veterinaryvehicle technicianto nationalrescue examinationan animal if the applicantanimal canis provideleft allin the vehicle as prescribed in subsection A, paragraph 7 of thethis following:section.

E.

A person who is convicted of a violation of subsection A, paragraph 6 or 10 of this section is liable as follows:

ProofIf the working or service animal was killed or disabled, to the owner or agency that owns the applicant'sworking originalor scoreservice meetsanimal and that employs the minimumhandler scoreor requiredto bythe owner or handler for the board.replacement and training costs of the working or service animal and for any veterinary bills.

ProofTo the owner or agency that owns a working or service animal for the applicantsalary holdsof anthe activehandler licensefor inthe goodperiod standingof intime anotherthat statethe orhandler's inservices Canada.are lost to the owner or agency.

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1658 3.

To the owner for the owner's contractual losses with the agency.

F.

An incorporated city or town or a county may adopt an ordinance with misdemeanor provisions at least as stringent as the misdemeanor provisions of this section, except that any ordinance adopted shall not prohibit or restrict any activity involving a dog, whether the dog is restrained or not, if the activity is directly related to the business of shepherding or herding livestock and the activity is necessary for the safety of a human, the dog or livestock or is permitted by or pursuant to title 3.

G.

If a judicial officer orders the release of a person who is currently serving a term of probation for a violation of this section and who is charged with a new violation of this section on the person's own recognizance or on the execution of bail, the judicial officer shall impose a condition of release that prohibits the person from possessing or having contact with any animal.

H.

A person who violates subsection A, paragraph 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, or 16 OR 17 of this section is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor.

A person who violates subsection A, paragraph 8, 9, 10, 11 or 13 of this section is guilty of a class 6 felony.

A person who violates subsection A, paragraph 14 or 15 of this section is guilty of a class 5 felony.

I.

For the purposes of this section:

1.

"Animal" means a mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian.

2.

"Cruel mistreatment" means to torture or otherwise inflict unnecessary serious physical injury on an animal or to kill an animal in a manner that causes protracted suffering to the animal.

Proof"Cruel ofneglect" employmentmeans asto afail veterinaryto technicianprovide inan twoanimal ofwith thenecessary precedingfood, fourwater years or fourshelter ofOR theTO precedingFAIL sevenTO years.PROVIDE A DOMESTIC ANIMAL WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

-(a) 1EXCEPT -FOR A DOG THAT PRIMARILY RESIDES OUTDOORS, ACCESS TO SHELTER THAT IS NECESSARY AND ADEQUATE.

(b) FOR A DOG THAT PRIMARILY RESIDES OUTDOORS, EXCEPT WHILE A DOG IS ENGAGED IN OR TRAINING FOR LAWFUL HUNTING, POLICE, MILITARY OR PATROL WORK, SEARCH AND RESCUE, HERDING OR LIVESTOCK GUARDING, TRIALS AND OTHER LAWFUL COMPETITIONS, SERVICE AND ASSISTANCE WORK AND OTHER WORKING, SPORTING AND COMPETITIVE FUNCTIONS OR IS UNDER THE CUSTODY OR CONTROL OF A PERSON WHO HAS NO PERMANENT PLACE OF RESIDENCE, ACCESS TO SHELTER THAT MEETS ALL OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:

(i) HAS A NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL COVER THAT IS ACCESSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

(ii) IS MAINTAINED IN GOOD REPAIR, IS OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO PROTECT THE DOG FROM INJURY AND ALLOWS THE DOG TO STAND, TURN AROUND, LIE DOWN IN A NATURAL MANNER AND MAINTAIN NORMAL BODY TEMPERATURE.

(iii) IS MAINTAINED IN A MANNER THAT MINIMIZES THE RISK OF DISEASE, INFESTATION OR PARASITES.

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1658 4.

"Domestic animal" means a mammal, BIRD, REPTILE OR AMPHIBIAN, not regulated by title 3, that is kept primarily as a pet or companion or that is bred to be a pet or companion.

5.

"Handler" means a law enforcement officer or any other person who has successfully completed a course of training prescribed by the person's agency or the service animal owner and who used a specially trained animal under the direction of the person's agency or the service animal owner.

6.

"Harass" means to engage in conduct that a reasonable person would expect to impede or interfere with a working animal's performance of its duties.

7.

"Service animal" means an animal that has completed a formal training program, that assists its owner in one or more daily living tasks that are associated with a productive lifestyle and that is trained to not pose a danger to the health and safety of the general public.

8.

"Working animal" means a horse or dog that is used by a law enforcement agency, that is specially trained for law enforcement work and that is under the control of a handler.

Sec.

2.

Short title This act may be cited as "Jerry's Law".

APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR JUNE 27, 2025.

FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE JUNE 27, 2025.

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