§ 2424. Licensure by endorsement

(a) The Board, or Office of Professional Regulation on its behalf, shall, upon application and payment of the required fee, issue a license without a written national examination to a person who:

(1) holds a current license in good standing in another U.S. or Canadian jurisdiction whose licensing standards are substantially equivalent to those of Vermont; and

(2) has met the continuing education requirements.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the Board may require that an applicant for licensure without examination satisfactorily complete an examination covering State laws and rules related to the practice of veterinary medicine and the State or national veterinary codes of ethics.

(c) As used in this section, "in good standing" means that the applicant:

(1) has not:

(A) been the subject of any administrative penalties regarding his or her practice of veterinary medicine, including fines, formal reprimands, license suspension, or revocations, except for license revocations for nonpayment of license renewal fees;

(B) been the subject of probationary limitations; or

(C) entered into any "consent agreements" that contain conditions placed by a regulatory board on his or her professional conduct and practice, including any voluntary surrender of a license;

(2) has never had his or her U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration privileges restricted or revoked;

(3) is not currently under investigation by another veterinary licensing authority;

(4) has no physical or mental impairment related to drugs, alcohol, or a finding of mental incompetence by a physician that would limit the applicant's ability to undertake the practice of veterinary medicine in a manner consistent with the safety of a patient or the public;

(5) has not been convicted of a felony; or

(6) has no criminal conviction record nor pending criminal charge relating to an offense that relates substantially to the practice of veterinary medicine. An applicant who has a criminal conviction record or against whom criminal charges are pending shall arrange for the appropriate authorities to provide information about the record or charge directly to the Board. Information provided under this subdivision shall be sufficiently specific to enable the Board to determine whether the record or charge is substantially related to the practice of veterinary medicine.

(d) An applicant who is not in good standing shall be eligible for licensure under this subsection, if the applicant can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Board, that he or she is otherwise qualified for licensure under this section. The Board may place limitations on licenses issued under this subsection or establish conditions of probation prior to the issuance of a license. (Added 1981, No. 67, § 1; amended 1985, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 1989, No. 250 (Adj. Sess.), § 4(d); 1995, No. 111 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 1997, No. 40, § 31; 2001, No. 151 (Adj. Sess.), § 25, eff. June 27, 2002; 2007, No. 29, § 35; 2007, No. 163 (Adj. Sess.), § 25.)