Notice of proposed changes to the continuing education requirements and approved areas of study in the regulations of the Board of Veterinary Examiners

Brief Description: The Board of Veterinary Examiners (Board) proposes to change regulations relating to approved medical and non-medical subject areas for the purposes of continuing education for licensees.

The Board proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 12, Chapter 68 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with continuing education requirements including the following:

1.12 AAC 68.230(b) is proposed to be amended to clarify that not less than two-thirds of continuing education must be in medical areas of study approved for the purposes of continuing education requirements.

2. 12 AAC 68.230 is proposed to be amended by adding new subsections to identify medical and non-medical subject areas of study approved for the purposes of continuing education requirements.

You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to Alison Osborne, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK  99811-0806. Additionally, the Board will accept comments by facsimile at (907) 465-2974 and by electronic mail at RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov. Comments may also be submitted through the Alaska Online Public Notice System by accessing this notice on the system using the comment link. The comments must be received not later than 4:30 p.m. on May 16, 2025.

You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Alison Osborne, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK  99811-0806 and by e-mail at RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov. The questions must be received at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The Board will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and on the Board’s website at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofVeterinaryExaminers.aspx.

If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Alison Osborne at (907) 465-6826 or RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov not later than May 9, 2025 to ensure that any necessary accommodation can be provided.

A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and by contacting Alison Osborne at (907) 465-6826, RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov, or at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/VET-1024.pdf

After the public comment period ends, the Board will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected. 

Statutory Authority: AS 08.98.050 and AS 08.98.080.
Statutes Being Implemented, Interpreted, or Made Specific: AS 08.98.050 and AS 08.98.080.

Fiscal Information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.

For each profession regulated under the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, the Division keeps a list of individuals or organizations who are interested in the regulations of that profession. Those on the list will automatically be sent a copy of all the Division notices of proposed regulation changes for that profession. To be added to or removed from the list, send a request to the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing at P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK  99811-0806, giving your name, the profession for which you would like to receive notices, and either your e-mail address or mailing address as you prefer for receiving notices.

Date: April 16, 2025 

Alison Osborne, Regulations Specialist  /s/
Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing 

ADDITIONAL REGULATION NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(d)

1.  Adopting agency: Board of Veterinary Examiners - Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.

2. General subject of regulation: Approved medical and non-medical subject areas for the purposes of continuing education for licensees.

3.  Citation of regulation: 12 AAC 68.230

4. Department of Law file number: 2024200496

5.  Reason for the proposed action: Update and clarify regulations; compliance with state statute.

6.  Appropriation/Allocation: Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing – #2360.

7.  Estimated annual cost to comply with the proposed action to:
     A private person: None known
     Another state agency: None known 
     A municipality: None known

8. Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding (in thousands of dollars):
    No costs are expected in FY 2025 or in subsequent years.

9. The name of the contact person for the regulation:   
     Rachel Billiet, Program Coordinator
     Board of Veterinary Examiners
     Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
     Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
     Telephone: (097) 269-0855
     E-mail: Rachel.billiet@alaska.gov

10. The origin of the proposed action: Staff of state agency.

11.  Date:     April 16, 2025
       Prepared by:    Alison Osborne, Regulations Specialist