Bill Commons

CA AB 516

enacted

Registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants: scope of practice.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 516 pass?

Yes. CA AB 516 has been enacted into law as of 2025-10-06. Latest recorded action (2025-10-06): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 371, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA AB 516 about?

Existing law, the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, establishes the California Veterinary Medical Board to license and regulate the practice of veterinary medicine. Existing law authorizes registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants to perform animal health care services prescribed by law under the supervision of a veterinarian, and authorizes registered veterinary technicians to perform animal health care services on animals impounded by a state, county, city, or city and county agency pursuant to an order of a veterinarian. This bill would instead authorize registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants to perform animal health care services not otherwise prohibited by law under the supervision of a veterinarian, and would authorize both registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants to perform animal health care services not otherwise prohibited by law on animals housed in public or private animal shelters, humane societies, or societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals pursuant to an order of a veterinarian. The bill would also authorize a registered veterinary technician to perform dental care procedures, including tooth extractions, under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Who sponsors CA AB 516?

Kalra is the primary sponsor of CA AB 516, joined by 2 cosponsors.

Description

Existing law, the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, establishes the California Veterinary Medical Board to license and regulate the practice of veterinary medicine. Existing law authorizes registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants to perform animal health care services prescribed by law under the supervision of a veterinarian, and authorizes registered veterinary technicians to perform animal health care services on animals impounded by a state, county, city, or city and county agency pursuant to an order of a veterinarian. This bill would instead authorize registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants to perform animal health care services not otherwise prohibited by law under the supervision of a veterinarian, and would authorize both registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants to perform animal health care services not otherwise prohibited by law on animals housed in public or private animal shelters, humane societies, or societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals pursuant to an order of a veterinarian. The bill would also authorize a registered veterinary technician to perform dental care procedures, including tooth extractions, under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Introduced
2025-06-16
Latest action
2025-10-06 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 371, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Kalraauthor
  • Pattersoncoauthor
  • Cortesecoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-02-10

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

  2. 2025-02-11

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 13.

  3. 2025-02-24

    Referred to Com. on B. & P.

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-04-01

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  5. 2025-04-23

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  6. 2025-04-24

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

    reading-1,reading-2

  7. 2025-05-01

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 1386.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  8. 2025-05-01

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1,referral-committee

  9. 2025-05-14

    Referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.

    referral-committee

  10. 2025-06-09

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (June 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  11. 2025-06-16

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  12. 2025-06-23

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

    committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  13. 2025-06-24

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  14. 2025-09-02

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2413.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  15. 2025-09-02

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  16. 2025-09-03

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 2876.).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  17. 2025-09-09

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  18. 2025-10-06

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  19. 2025-10-06

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 371, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

Versions

  • 02/10/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-10Compare
  • 06/16/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-06-16Compare
  • 09/05/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-05Compare
  • 10/06/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-06Compare
  • AB516Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-04-01 · pass · 17-0

    Member-level votes (18)
    • Haney: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: other
  • Do pass. To Consent Calendar.

    2025-04-23 · pass · 15-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Dixon: yes
  • AB 516 Kalra Consent Calendar Second Day

    2025-05-01 · pass · 76-0

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Bains: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • McKinnor: other
    • Papan: other
    • Chen: other
  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-06-09 · pass · 8-0

    Member-level votes (11)
    • Grayson: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Weber Pierson: other
    • Menjivar: other
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: other
  • 3rd Reading AB516 Kalra et al. By Cortese

    2025-09-02 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Alvarado-Gil: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Jones: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
  • AB 516 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments

    2025-09-03 · pass · 77-0

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Flora: other
    • Alvarez: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

Use this data

Every field on this page is available from the free public API — no key or licence required. Fetch this bill as JSON: GET /api/v1/bills?jurisdiction=CA&identifier=AB 516. See the API docs or the MCP server for AI assistants.

Known limitations

  • Sponsor party and chamber affiliation are not yet captured by this API.
  • Committee referrals are not yet captured.
  • Some documents have no extracted text yet, so version comparison may be limited.

See the methodology page for data sources and limitations.