SB 1269

SB1269:v99#DOCUMENT

Bill Start

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1269

An act to add Article 3 (commencing with Section 1070) to Chapter 2 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1269, as introduced, Ochoa Bogh. Chiropractors: animal chiropractic practitioners.

Existing law, the Chiropractic Act, enacted by an initiative measure, provides for the licensure and regulation of chiropractors by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor.

Existing law, the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of veterinarians and the practice of veterinary medicine by the Veterinary Medical Board.

This bill would establish a scheme for a licensed chiropractor to be registered by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners as an animal chiropractic practitioner and would prohibit a chiropractor from practicing animal chiropractic without being registered as an animal chiropractic practitioner unless they are under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The bill would establish requirements for registration as an animal chiropractic practitioner, including holding a certification from one of specified credentialing organizations or a credentialing organization specified by the board. The bill would establish requirements for practicing animal chiropractic and registering an animal chiropractic premises with the board. The bill would require the board, by regulation, to establish fees for registering an animal chiropractic premises. By authorizing new fees to be deposited into the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners’ Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would require an animal chiropractic practitioner to comply with regulations of the board applicable to chiropractors, would authorize the board to adopt regulations necessary to implement the bill’s provisions, and would require the board, if adopting specified regulations, to consult with the Veterinary Medical Board, including regulations regarding standards of medicine or care for an animal. The bill would make an animal chiropractic practitioner exempt from the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act.

By expanding the scope of a crime under the Chiropractic Initiative Act, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: YES Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Article 3 (commencing with Section 1070) is added to Chapter 2 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, to read:

Article 3. Animal Chiropractic

1070.

As used in this article:

(a) “Animal” means any living animal other than a human being.

(b) “Animal chiropractic” means the evaluation and treatment of an animal’s vertebral or extremity joint dysfunction or subluxation through chiropractic adjustment therapy or soft tissue therapy.

(c) “Animal chiropractic practitioner” means a person who satisfies both of the following requirements:

(1) The person is licensed as a chiropractor by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners and holds a current, valid certification from any of the following:

(A) The American Veterinary Chiropractic Association, unless otherwise specified by regulation.

(B) The International Veterinary Chiropractic Association, unless otherwise specified by regulation.

(C) Any other credentialing organization that the board specifies by regulation adopted under this article.

(2) The person completes a minimum of eight hours of continuing education every two years in the practice of animal chiropractic.

(d) “Animal chiropractic premises” means a premises that meets both of the following:

(1) The premises is registered with the board pursuant to regulations established by the board.

(2) The premises is the primary location where an animal chiropractic practitioner performs animal chiropractic on an animal patient unless in a range setting.

(e) “Board” means the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

(f) “Licensed veterinarian” means a person licensed by the Veterinary Medical Board pursuant to the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act (Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 4800)).

1071.

(a) A chiropractor who is not registered as an animal chiropractic practitioner by the board pursuant to this article shall not practice animal chiropractic unless they are under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

(b) All of the following apply to a chiropractor who is an animal chiropractic practitioner:

(1) The animal chiropractic practitioner shall register with the board as an animal chiropractic practitioner in a manner specified by the board.

(2) The animal chiropractic practitioner shall register with the board an animal chiropractic premises in which animal chiropractic is primarily provided unless in a range setting.

(3) The animal chiropractic practitioner may provide animal chiropractic only to types of animals on which the animal chiropractic practitioner has received training.

(4) The animal chiropractic practitioner may provide animal chiropractic without supervision by a licensed veterinarian for the first three months or eight visits of care, whichever comes first. After this initial period, the animal chiropractic practitioner shall refer the animal owner and patient back to the primary treating veterinarian for followup examination.

(5) The animal chiropractic practitioner shall obtain a completed intake form and application for care form for each animal evaluated or treated in accordance with subdivision (c).

(6) The animal chiropractic practitioner shall maintain for at least three years a medical record for each animal evaluated or treated that includes the application for care form and, on request, shall provide the medical record to the animal’s veterinarian in a timely fashion.

(c) Before providing animal chiropractic in accordance with this section, an animal chiropractic practitioner shall require the animal’s owner, owner’s agent, or another person responsible for the animal to complete and sign all of the following:

(1) A detailed intake form that includes, but is not limited to, owner demographic information, animal demographic information, chief complaint, medical history, and past treatments.

(2) An application for care form that contains at least the following:

(A) A statement that the animal chiropractic practitioner is licensed by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, is only licensed to provide animal chiropractic, is not a licensed veterinarian, and cannot maintain primary responsibility for the animal’s care.

(B) A statement that animal chiropractic is not intended to replace traditional veterinary care and is considered an alternative therapy to be used concurrently and in conjunction with traditional veterinary care by a licensed veterinarian.

(C) A question as to whether the animal has been seen by a licensed veterinarian within the past 12 months.

(D) (i) A question as to whether a licensed veterinarian has provided a diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal for which animal chiropractic is sought, and if so, a request to specify the diagnosis.

(ii) If the animal owner does not have a primary veterinarian, the animal chiropractic practitioner shall provide references to veterinarians that the owner can utilize.

(3) A consent form authorizing the animal chiropractic practitioner to provide animal chiropractic to the animal.

(d) The board shall maintain and make available to the public a list of animal chiropractic practitioners who are registered with the board pursuant to this section.

(e) This section does not restrict a licensed veterinarian from engaging in the practice of veterinary medicine pursuant to the Veterinary Practice Act or prevent any other individual from lawfully acting in a manner pursuant to the scope of practice pursuant to this division.

(f) An animal’s veterinarian is not liable for any actions or omissions of an animal chiropractic practitioner who provides animal chiropractic in accordance with this section.

(g) (1) An animal chiropractic practitioner shall comply with all regulations of the board applicable to chiropractors, unless otherwise specified by the board by regulation.

(2) The board may adopt regulations necessary to implement this article. The following regulations, if adopted, shall be adopted in consultation with the Veterinary Medical Board in accordance with paragraph (4):

(A) Regulations regarding standards of medicine or care for an animal.

(B) Regulations to remove or specify additional credentialing organizations for purposes of subdivision (c) of Section 1070.

(3) The board shall establish by regulation the requirements, including the fee, to register an animal chiropractic premises by an animal chiropractic practitioner. The fee shall not exceed the reasonable regulatory costs of the board’s administration, implementation, and enforcement duties.

(4) When considering adopting, amending, or repealing a regulation, the board shall, in a timely manner, provide to the Veterinary Medical Board the full text of the regulation proposed to be adopted, amended, or repealed. The Veterinary Medical Board shall informally vote on whether to adopt, amend, or repeal the regulation at its next regularly scheduled meeting. Regardless of whether the vote is affirmative or not, the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners may proceed with the adoption, amendment, or repeal of the regulation in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).

(h) This article does not authorize any of the following:

(1) The provision of any service or act other than animal chiropractic by an animal chiropractic practitioner at an animal chiropractic premises registered with the board or range setting.

(2) The provision of any service or act by an animal chiropractic practitioner that would constitute the practice of veterinary medicine.

(3) The provision of animal chiropractic by an unlicensed person, including, but not limited to, a chiropractic assistant.

1072.

An animal chiropractic practitioner registered and practicing pursuant to this article is exempt from the provisions of the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act (Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 4800)).

SEC. 2.

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.