Georgia CommonsHB 1408: Veterinarians; authorize licensed veterinary technicians to administer antirabies vaccinations to animals
Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action May 11, 2026 · Passed
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
House Bill 1408 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Camp of the 135th, Hagan of the 156th, Cooper of the 45th, Cox of the 28th, Jasperse of the 11th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 19 of Title 31 and Chapter 50 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to control of rabies and veterinarians and veterinary technicians, respectively, so as to authorize licensed veterinary technicians under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian to administer antirabies vaccinations to animals required by this state to be inoculated against rabies; to update terminology and make conforming changes; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 19 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to control of rabies, is amended by revising Code Section 31-19-5, relating to inoculation of canines and felines against rabies, as follows:
"31-19-5.
The county boards of health are empowered and required to adopt and promulgate rules and regulations requiring canines and felines to be inoculated against rabies and to prescribe the intervals and means of inoculation, the fees to be paid in county sponsored clinics, that procedures be in compliance with the recommendations of the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians for identifying inoculated canines and felines, and all other procedures applicable thereto. As used in this chapter, the term 'inoculation against rabies' means the administering by a licensed veterinarian of an antirabies vaccine approved by the department by a licensed veterinarian or a licensed veterinary technician in accordance with Code Section 43-50-54.1."
SECTION 2.
Said chapter is further amended by revising subsection (b) of Code Section 31-19-7, relating to county rabies control officer, as follows:
"(b) The county governing authority of each county is authorized to levy a fee not to exceed 50¢ for each dog, such fee to be collected by the veterinarian administering or directly supervising the administration of the antirabies vaccine required by this chapter. This fee shall be in addition to that provided for in Code Section 31-19-5. If any county has no resident veterinarian, the out-of-county veterinarian administering or directly supervising the administration of the antirabies vaccine and collecting the fee provided for by this Code section shall forward to the treasurer of the county of the dog owner's residence the fee prescribed by that county's governing authority."
SECTION 3.
Chapter 50 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to veterinarians and veterinary technicians, is amended in Article 1, relating to general provisions, by revising paragraphs (25) and (26) of Code Section 43-50-3, relating to definitions, as follows: "(25) 'Practice veterinary medicine' or 'practice of veterinary medicine' means:
(A) To diagnose, treat, correct, change, relieve, or prevent animal disease, deformity, defect, injury, or other physical or mental conditions, including the prescribing, administration, or dispensing of any prescription drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, application, anesthetic, or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or technique on, for, or to any animal, including, but not limited to, the use of complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies, animal dentistry, manual or mechanical adjustment procedures, physical therapy, rehabilitation, surgery, diagnostic veterinary pathology, any manual, mechanical, biological, or chemical procedure used for pregnancy testing or for correcting sterility or infertility, or to render advice or recommendations with regard to any of the above; but not including such administration or dispensing pursuant to prescription or direction of a licensed veterinarian;
(B)(i) To apply or use any instrument or device on any portion of an animal's tooth, gum, or any related tissue for the prevention, cure, or relief of any wound, fracture, injury, disease, or other condition of an animal's tooth, gum, or related tissue.
(ii) To engage in preventive dental procedures on animals, including, but not limited to, the removal of calculus, soft deposits, plaque, or stains or the smoothing, filing, or polishing of tooth surfaces.
(iii) Nothing in this subparagraph shall prohibit any person from utilizing cotton swabs, gauze, dental floss, dentifrice, toothbrushes, or similar items to clean an animal's teeth;
(C) To represent, directly or indirectly, publicly or privately, an ability and willingness to do any act described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph;
(D) To use any title, words, abbreviation, or letters in a manner or under circumstances which induce the belief that the person using them is legally authorized or qualified to perform an act included in this paragraph. Such use shall be evidence of the intention to represent oneself as engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine;
(E) To apply principles of environmental sanitation, food inspection, environmental pollution control, zoonotic disease control, and disaster medicine in the promotion and protection of public health as it specifically relates to animals. This subparagraph shall apply only to licensed veterinarians and not to other qualified persons;
(F) To collect blood or other samples for the purpose of diagnosing diseases or related conditions. This subparagraph shall not apply to unlicensed professionals employed by or under contract with the United States Department of Agriculture or the Georgia Department of Agriculture who are engaged in their official duties; or
(G) To administer a rabies an antirabies vaccination to any animal that the state requires to be vaccinated, but shall not include the administration of an antirabies vaccination by a licensed veterinary technician pursuant to Code Section 43-50-54.1.
(26) 'Practice veterinary technology' means:
(A) To perform animal patient care or other services that require a technical understanding of veterinary medicine by a licensed veterinary technician on the basis of written or oral instruction of a licensed veterinarian, excluding diagnosing, prognosing, performing surgery, prescribing, or dispensing;
(B) To represent, directly or indirectly, publicly or privately, an ability and willingness to engage in any act described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph; or
(C) To use any title, words, abbreviation, or letters, while engaged in the practice of licensed veterinary technology, in a manner or under circumstances that induce the belief that the person using them is qualified to engage in an act included in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph; or
(D) To administer an antirabies vaccination in accordance with Code Section 43-50-54.1."
SECTION 4.
Said chapter is further amended in Article 3, relating to licensing, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"43-50-54.1.
A licensed veterinary technician working under a licensed veterinarian's direct supervision, as defined by the board pursuant to Code Section 43-50-54, may administer an antirabies vaccination to any animal that the state requires to be vaccinated."
SECTION 5.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.