Colorado is set to pass Proposition 129, with 72 percent of votes counted at the time of posting. Proposition 129 establishes a new, legally recognized and regulated class of veterinary care providers known as veterinary professional associates (VPAs).
Before the passage of the proposition, only licensed veterinarians, veterinarian technicians, and veterinarian technician specialists were legally permitted to administer veterinary care in Colorado. Once Proposition 129 is adopted, the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine will be required to recognize VPAs, determine what kind of care they may practice, establish the level of supervision required, and specify any additional credentials beyond a master’s degree in veterinary clinical care.
Proposition 129 states that VPAs “may perform tasks that are within the individual’s advanced education and training,” providing the profession a broad scope of practice. The…
