An act regulating the practice and licensure of veterinary technicians. 

Our bill has been submitted for the 2025 legislative session, bill numbers have not yet been assigned.

After having our bill pass a House floor vote last summer, our partners kept up during the rest of 2024 to move the bill through the Senate. Unfortunately, we ran out of time before that happened, but we are energized for this session to get our bill even further along in the process!

The licensing bill has been refiled for the new legislative session in both the House (H.407)  and Senate (S.277). As usual, the bills have been referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure. We are awaiting a hearing schedule.

This bill will not pass without the support of our members. Please be on the lookout for "Call to Action" emails and reach out to your representatives and senators when needed. If you have any questions about the bill or the process, please reach out to Legislative Committee Chair, Erin Spencer, at [email protected].  

Erin Spencer, CVT, VTS(ECC) Legislation Chair

•  This bill would establish within the Board of Registration in Veterinary Medicine, a subsidiary board for veterinary technology that would be subject to the control of the board of registration in veterinary medicine.
• The first assignment for the subsidiary board would be to establish rules and regulations for the mandatory licensure of veterinary technicians in Massachusetts.
• The Problem is that, currently in Massachusetts, any person, with any level of experience, can work in a veterinary practice and be called a veterinary technician.  
• Complex and costly veterinary medical services should be performed by educated, trained, and licensed veterinary technicians.
• Inducing and monitoring anesthesia
• Taking radiographs
• Performing diagnostic testing
• Providing comprehensive nursing care
• Placing intravenous and urinary catheters

• The Purpose of the bill is to develop and implement quality educational and practice standards for veterinary technicians within the practice of veterinary medicine.

• Licensure would require:  1) completing an American Veterinary Medical Association approved program of study (associate or bachelor’s degree), 2) passing the Veterinary Technician National Exam, and 3) meeting continuing education requirements.

• Forty other states have a state regulated credential system. Only ten, including Massachusetts, still have private organizations overseeing voluntary credential systems. 

• Four Massachusetts community colleges offer associate degree veterinary technician programs:  Massasoit CC, Holyoke CC, North Shore CC, and Mount Wachusett CC.  UMass Amherst offers a four-year bachelor program.

• Employing a higher number of credentialed veterinary technicians per veterinarian is associated with higher clinic revenues. (JAVMA, Vol 236, No. 8, April 15, 2010; ACER Report, Ontario Assoc. of VTs, 01/21/19) Educated and highly skilled veterinary technicians help facilitate clinical appointments and operations more efficiently.

For more information, please contact MVTA Legislation Committee Chair, Erin Spencer, at [email protected]