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Summary: HB 1621 would require veterinary technicians to receive licenses from the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. Currently this is no requirement but the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) does issue certificates to technicians who meet the requirements. HB 1621 would establish an entirely new set of requirements and fees that technicians would have to meet in order to receive a license to practice.
Analysis: HB 1621 would create unnecessary burdens for citizens looking to become veterinary technicians. The TVMA represents an example of a private organization that is able to lend credibility to those who receive a certification voluntarily. HB 1621 would serve as a protectionist bill that would prevent more individuals from taking up this line of work. Veterinarians should be able to hire technicians based on their own criteria, not the state’s. Currently, veterinarians have the choice to accept TVMA’s endorsement of a technician or not. If passed. HB 1621 would take away that choice. HB 1621 would expand the scope of government, infringe on free market transactions, and hurt individual liberties.