SECTION 571.11. Provisional Veterinary Licensure

(a) The Board may issue a provisional veterinary license to a person seeking regular veterinary licensure in Texas. The Board may not issue a provisional veterinary license to an individual who has previously taken and failed any examination offered by the Board and required to obtain a Texas veterinary license. The Board may not reissue, extend, or renew a provisional veterinary license.

(b) The Board may grant a provisional veterinary license containing specific practice restrictions to a person who meets the following criteria:

(1) present proof of a current active license in good standing in another state or jurisdiction of the United States that has licensing requirements substantially equivalent to the requirements of the Veterinary Licensing Act, Texas Occupations Code Chapter 801;

(2) proof of receipt of a passing score on the national examination or NAVLE, except that the Board may, upon written petition of the applicant, provide an exception to this requirement based on the applicant's satisfaction of the other requirements of this section and consideration of factors set out in §571.5(c) of this title (relating to Qualifications for Veterinary License);

(3) a passing score of 85 percent on the Board's jurisprudence examination;

(4) payment of the required application fee;

(5) proof of graduation from a college of veterinary medicine accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) or an Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) Certificate or a Program for Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE) Certificate; and

(6) proof of veterinary experience, which may be satisfied by letter of reference from at least two licensed veterinary employers or licensed veterinary colleagues with direct knowledge of the applicant's veterinary practice and experience.

(c) The Board's Executive Director will issue a provisional veterinary license to an applicant following verification of the requirements set out in subsection (b) of this section and receipt of the documents and fee required in subsection (d) of this section.

(d) An applicant for a provisional veterinary license must submit completed information on an application form designated by the Board, together with the required supporting documentation and an application fee in an amount set by the Board and contained in §577.15 of this title (relating to Fee Schedule).

(e) An applicant for a veterinary license, who is the spouse of an active duty member of the United States armed forces and held a veterinary license in this state within the preceding five years that was cancelled for failure to renew while the applicant lived in another state for at least six months, may apply for a provisional license and is exempt from the requirements of subsection (b) of this section, except that the applicant must attain a passing score of 85 percent on the Board's jurisprudence examination, and pay the required application fee.

(f) A provisional veterinary license is valid until the earlier of:

(1) 14 days after the first available regularly scheduled SBE;

(2) announcement of the results of the first available SBE; or

(3) cancellation, if the provisional licensee fails to appear at the first available regularly scheduled SBE held after the issuance of the provisional license.

(g) The Board shall process any additional requirements necessary to complete a provisional veterinary licensee's application for regular licensure within 180 days after the issuance of a provisional veterinary license. The Board is not required to conduct a licensure examination if a regularly scheduled SBE does not occur within the 180-day period.

Source Note: The provisions of this §571.11 adopted to be effective May 29, 2011, 36 TexReg 3187; amended to be effective June 19, 2012, 37 TexReg 4419; amended to be effective December 23, 2013, 38 TexReg 9363