2010 New York Code
EDN - Education
Title 8 - THE PROFESSIONS
Article 135 - (6700 - 6714) VETERINARY MEDICINE AND ANIMAL HEALTH TECHNOLOGY
6704-A - Mandatory continuing education for veterinarians.

* §  6704-a.  Mandatory continuing education for veterinarians. 1. (a)
  Each veterinarian,  licensed  pursuant  to  this  article,  required  to
  register triennially with the department to practice in this state shall
  comply  with  the  provisions  of  the  mandatory  continuing  education
  requirements, except as set forth in paragraphs  (b)  and  (c)  of  this
  subdivision.  Veterinarians  who do not satisfy the mandatory continuing
  education requirements shall not  practice  until  they  have  met  such
  requirements   and  have  been  issued  a  registration  or  conditional
  registration certificate.
    (b) Veterinarians  shall  be  exempt  from  the  mandatory  continuing
  education requirement for the triennial registration period during which
  they  are first licensed. In accordance with the intent of this section,
  adjustments to the mandatory continuing  education  requirement  may  be
  granted  by  the  department  for  reasons  of  health,  certified  by a
  physician, for extended active duty with the armed forces of the  United
  States,  or  for other good cause acceptable to the department which may
  prevent compliance. Veterinarians engaged on a full-time  basis  in  the
  teaching  of  veterinary  medicine  at  a  veterinary  education program
  registered by the department or accredited or approved by an  acceptable
  accrediting  organization  shall be exempt from the requirements of this
  section.
    (c) A licensed veterinarian not engaged in professional practice shall
  be exempt from the mandatory continuing education requirement  upon  the
  filing  of  a  statement  with the department declaring such status. Any
  licensee who returns to the practice of veterinary medicine shall notify
  the department prior to reentering the profession and  shall  meet  such
  mandatory  continuing  education  requirements as shall be prescribed by
  regulation of the commissioner.
    2.  During  each  triennial  registration  period  an  applicant   for
  registration  shall complete a minimum of forty-five hours of acceptable
  formal continuing education, a maximum of twenty-two and one-half  hours
  of   which  may  be  self-instructional  coursework  acceptable  to  the
  department. Any veterinarian whose first registration date following the
  effective date of this section occurs less than three  years  from  such
  effective  date,  but  on  or  after January first, two thousand twelve,
  shall complete continuing education hours on a  prorated  basis  at  the
  rate  of  one  and  one-quarter hours per month for the period beginning
  January first, two thousand twelve up to  the  first  registration  date
  thereafter.  A  licensee  who has not satisfied the mandatory continuing
  education requirements shall not  be  issued  a  triennial  registration
  certificate  by the department and shall not practice unless and until a
  conditional  registration  certificate  is   issued   as   provided   in
  subdivision  three of this section, or until he or she has otherwise met
  the  requirements  of  this  section.  The  individual  licensee   shall
  determine  the  selection  of  courses  or programs of study pursuant to
  subdivision four of this section.
    3.  The  department,  in  its  discretion,  may  issue  a  conditional
  registration  to  a  licensee who fails to meet the continuing education
  requirements established in subdivision two  of  this  section  but  who
  agrees  to  make  up  any deficiencies and take any additional education
  which the department  may  require.  The  fee  for  such  a  conditional
  registration  shall  be the same as, and in addition to, the fee for the
  triennial registration. The duration of  such  conditional  registration
  shall  be  determined by the department. Any licensee who is notified of
  the denial of registration for failure to submit evidence,  satisfactory
  to  the  department,  of completion of required continuing education and
  who practices veterinary medicine  without  such  registration,  may  be

subject  to  disciplinary  proceedings  pursuant  to  section sixty-five
  hundred ten of this title.
    4.  As  used in this section, "acceptable formal continuing education"
  shall mean formal programs of learning which contribute to  professional
  practice  of  veterinary  medicine  which  are  offered  by  sponsors of
  veterinary  continuing  education  approved  by   the   department,   in
  consultation  with  the  state board for veterinary medicine, to fulfill
  the mandatory continuing education requirement. Sponsors  of  veterinary
  continuing  education  shall  include  state  or  national  professional
  associations established to  further  the  veterinary  professions,  and
  shall  include  any  affiliates  of  such  associations  including local
  veterinary medical societies and generally  recognized  state,  national
  and   international   veterinary   conferences   at  which  professional
  continuing education is a major component of such conferences,  as  well
  as  universities  and colleges offering programs leading to licensure in
  the veterinary medical  professions.  Sponsors  of  veterinary  medicine
  continuing  education  shall file an application with the department and
  pay a fee of nine hundred dollars.
    5. The mandatory continuing education fee shall be established by  the
  department,  and  shall  be  payable  on or before the first day of each
  triennial registration period, and shall be  paid  in  addition  to  the
  triennial  registration fee required by section sixty-seven hundred four
  of this article.
    * NB Effective January 1, 2011