§ 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. (a) 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.

(i) Self-instructional coursework may include free spaying and
neutering and other veterinary services in conjunction with a
municipality, duly incorporated not-for-profit society for the
prevention of cruelty to animals, duly incorporated humane society, or
duly incorporated animal protection association or persons who would
otherwise be eligible under paragraph (a) of subdivision three of
section one hundred seventeen-a of the agriculture and markets law,
provided that such services be administered at practices, facilities and
properties that are appropriately equipped and staffed to provide such
services.

(ii) The department may offset up to three hours of the requisite
number of hours of continuing education required pursuant to this
paragraph by the number of free spaying and neutering services rendered
by an applicant, at a rate of one-half of one hour of continuing
education for each hour of free spaying and neutering services, provided
that a veterinarian shall be required to provide follow-up service for
any post-operative complications related to the surgery that arise
within twenty-four hours of performing the surgery, and shall also be
required to complete the core requirements established by the
department.

(b) 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.