up-to-the-minute coverage through our CaRVTA Annual Back-to-School Conference page and through postings on CaRVTA's Facebook page!

David Liss, RVT, VTS (ECC), was elected to serve on the CaRVTA Board. He joins the Board this month. Welcome, David!

Did you know that California now requires a minimum of 20 CEUs per Licensing Cycle for all RVTs? We can help you understand these new requirements by answering some of your most frequently asked questions and offering further resources! learn more >>

According to the National State Legislatures Association, more than 40,000 new laws were created last year by state houses throughout the U.S., with California's State House leading the way. The following are new employment laws that you should know:

• Pregnancy Disability Leave: SB 299 requires all employers with 5 or more employees to continue to maintain and pay for health coverage under a group health plan for an eligible female employee who takes Pregnancy Disability Leave up to a maximum of 4 months in a 12 month period. The health coverage should be maintained "at the level and under the conditions that coverage would have been provided if the employee had continued in employment continuously for the duration of the leave."
• Willful Misclassification of Independent Contractors: SB 459 provides new penalties of between $5,000 to $25,000 for the "willful misclassification" of independent contractors.
• Notice of Pay Details: AB 459 requires employers to provide non-exempt employees, at the time of hire, a notice that specifies:
  1. The rate of pay and the basis, whether hourly, salary, piece commission or otherwise, including any overtime rate
  2. Allowance, if any, claimed as part of the minimum wage, including meal and lodging allowances
  3. The regular pay day designated by the employer as required under the Labor Code
  4. The name of the employer, including any "doing business as" names
  5. The physical address of the employer's main office or principal place of business and any mailing address, of different
  6. The telephone number of the employer
  7. The name, address and telephone number of the employer's worker's compensation carrier
• Employee Unionizing and Right to Strike: An order by the National Labor Relations board has an impact on businesses in California. By January 31, 2012, most private-sector employers must begin displaying an 11"x17" poster that provides information to employees about unionizing and their right to strike.

• VMB Workshops
  The VMB will be holding approximately 5 work-shops in 2012 to create the Jurisprudence Exam that will be administered to RVT candidates once Califor-nia transitions to the national RVT exam (VTNE), expected some-time after January, 2013, although an exact date has not yet been deter-mined. Any RVT interested in participating in these workshops should email Ethan Mathes at ethan.mathes@ dca.ca.gov. Workshop participants receive a daily stipend, travel expenses and CE credit.
• RVT Title Protection
  

  One year ago, the California state legislature passed the RVT title protection law for the term "Veterinary Technician." Both CaRVTA and CVMA have agreed to educate our members that the use of the terms "technician" and "tech" should be reserved for RVTs only. As a result of a CaRVTA, CVMA and VMB Task Force recommendation, the VMB will be proposing legislation to change the term "unregistered assistant" to "veterinary assistant."

  The 2011 law reads: "No person shall use the title registered veterinary technician or veterinary technician or any other words, letters, or symbols, including, but not limited to, the abbreviation R.V.T. with the intent to represent that the person is authorized to act as a registered veterinary technician, unless that person meets the requirements of Section 4839 (is actually licensed as an RVT)."

  Dr. Grant Miller, DVM, CVMA Director of Regulatory Affairs, has written an article on RVT Title protection that appears in the current issue of California Veterinarian. Dr. Miller is also a Unit Coordinator for CAVMRC, the California Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps, which provides veterinary support to animals during disasters and emergencies.

  Read the article
  Learn more about CAVMRC at www.cavmrc.net

 
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