Title 3, District of Columbia Boards and Commissions.

(a) The Board of Veterinary Medicine shall issue a license to practice veterinary medicine to a person who, in addition to meeting the requirements of subchapter V of this chapter [§ 3-1205.01 et seq.]: (1) Is a graduate of a school of veterinary medicine approved by the Board; (…

(a) A person shall not engage in activities related to maintaining the health or treatment of an animal unless certified by the Board of Veterinary Medicine as a veterinary technician. (b) A person certified as a veterinary technician may provide only veterinary technician servic…

(a) No person may euthanize an animal without first obtaining certification by the Board of Veterinary Medicine as a veterinary euthanasia technician. (b) A person certified as a veterinary euthanasia technician shall not provide veterinary euthanasia services except while under …

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term “general supervision” means that the services of the technician are provided under the direction of a licensed veterinarian, and the veterinarian is accessible and available to the technician via a telephone communication device or on…

(a) Any person who practices or offers to practice dance therapy or recreation therapy in the District shall register with the Mayor on forms prescribed by the Mayor, reregister at intervals the Mayor may require by rule, and pay the registration fee established by the Mayor. (b)…

(a) For the purposes of this section, “registered acupuncture therapist” means a person who has successfully completed a program in acupuncture therapy approved by the Advisory Committee on Acupuncture and the Board of Medicine for the specific purpose of treating drug and alcoho…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term: (1) “Dental assistant” means a person who is registered by the Board of Dentistry and is authorized to assist a licensed dentist in the performance of duties related to oral care under the direct supervision of a dentist. (2) “Direc…

(a) A person who is engaged as a psychology associate in the District shall register with the Mayor, renew the registration as required by rule, and pay the required registration fee established by the Mayor. (b) A person registered to practice as a psychology associate may provi…

(a) Persons who are engaged as nursing assistive personnel in the District shall register with the Mayor, renew the registration as required by rule, and pay the required registration fee established by the Mayor. (b) The Mayor, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2 [§…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term “personal fitness trainer” means a person who develops and implements an individualized approach to exercise, including personal training and instruction in physical fitness and conditioning for an individual and a person who perform…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term: (1) “Audiology assistant” means an individual who is registered with the Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology to engage in practice as an audiology assistant. (2) “Direct supervision” means on-site and personal oversight…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term: (1) “Direct supervision” means on-site and personal oversight by a licensed speech-language pathologist who: (A) Assumes responsibility for a speech-language pathology assistant’s conduct in the speech-language pathology office or t…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term: (1) “Speech-language pathology clinical fellow” means an individual who is registered with the Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology to engage in practice as a speech-language pathology clinical fellow. (2) “Supervision” …

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term “phlebotomist” means an unlicensed person trained in the proper procedure for withdrawing blood by venipuncture or skin puncture for clinical laboratory test purposes. (b) A person who is engaged as a phlebotomist in the District of …

No person shall practice, attempt to practice, or offer to practice a health occupation licensed, registered, certified, or regulated under this chapter in the District unless currently licensed, registered, or certified, or exempted from licensure, registration, or certification…

Unless authorized to practice a health occupation under this chapter, a person shall not represent to the public by title, description of services, methods, or procedures, or otherwise that the person is authorized to practice the health occupation in the District.

(a) Unless authorized to practice acupuncture under this chapter, a person shall not use or imply the use of the words or terms “acupuncture,” “acupuncturist,” or any similar title or description of services with the intent to represent that the person practices acupuncture. (b) …

(a) No person shall file or attempt to file with any board or the Mayor any statement, diploma, certificate, credential, or other evidence if the person knows, or should know, that it is false or misleading. (b) No person shall knowingly make a false statement that is in fact mat…

No person shall sell or fraudulently obtain or furnish any diploma, license, certificate or registration, record, or other document required by this chapter, by any board, or by the Mayor.

(a) Nothing in this chapter regulating the practice of pharmacy shall be construed as altering or affecting in any way District or federal laws requiring a written prescription for controlled substances or other dangerous drugs. (b)(1) No pharmacist shall supervise more than 1 ph…

(a) A pharmacist who provides prescription services to medical assistance recipients shall offer to discuss with each medical assistance recipient or caregiver who presents a prescription order for outpatient drugs any matter which, in the exercise of the pharmacist’s professiona…

(a) Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be subject to imprisonment not to exceed 1 year, or a fine not to exceed $10,000, or both. (b) Any person who has been previously convicted under this chapter shall, upon conviction, be subject to i…

(a) Prosecutions for violations of this chapter shall be brought in the name of the District of Columbia by the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. (b) In any prosecution brought under this chapter, any person claiming an exemption from licensure, registr…

Civil fines, penalties, and fees may be imposed as alternative sanctions for any infraction of the provisions of this chapter, or any rules or regulations issued under the authority of this chapter, pursuant to Chapter 18 of Title 2.

(a) The Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia may bring an action in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in the name of the District of Columbia to enjoin the unlawful practice of any health occupation or any other action which is grounds for the …

(a) Upon written request from a patient or client, or person authorized to have access to the patient’s record under a health care power of attorney for the patient or client, the health care provider having custody and control of the patient’s or client’s record shall furnish, w…

(a) The personnel, records, property, and unexpended balances of appropriations and other funds which relate primarily to the functions of the Board of Dental Examiners are transferred to the Board of Dentistry established by this chapter. (b) The personnel, records, property, an…

Members of boards or commissions abolished by section 1104 shall serve as members of the successor boards to which their functions are transferred until the expiration of their terms or the appointment of their successors, whichever occurs first.

(a) No suit, action, or other judicial proceeding lawfully commenced by or against any board or commission specified in section 1104, or against any member, officer or employee of the board or commission in the official capacity of the officer or employee, shall abate by reason o…

For a period of 12 months following March 6, 2007, all references to a physical therapy assistant shall be deemed to refer to a person meeting the requirements for licensure in the District, regardless of whether that person is licensed in fact.

An individual who was engaged in practice as an assisted living administrator, athletic trainer, home health care administrator, personal fitness trainer, veterinary technician, veterinary euthanasia technician, audiology assistant, speech-language pathology assistant, or a speec…

(a) Funds may be appropriated to carry out the purposes of this chapter. (b) Repealed.

(a) For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Board” means the District of Columbia Board of Nursing. (2) “Committee” means the Committee on Impaired Nurses. (3) “Contract” means a written agreement between the impaired nurse and the Committee providing the terms and condi…

(a) A Committee on Impaired Nurses is established to supervise operation of the Program. The Committee shall be composed of 5 nurses licensed in the District of Columbia who shall be appointed by the Board. The Board may establish additional committees as may be necessary to perf…

(a) The Committee shall determine where meetings are held and the frequency of meetings. (b) Minutes of Committee meetings shall be confidential. Only Committee members shall have access to these documents. (c) Records of the Committee shall be privileged and confidential, and sh…

The Committee may employee staff or engage the services of a consultant to carry out its functions in accordance with the approved budget of the District of Columbia and as approved by the Board.

In addition to the powers and duties set forth elsewhere in this chapter, the Committee shall: (1) Evaluate a nurse who requests participation in the Program according to the guidelines prescribed by the Committee and consider recommendations for a nurse’s admission into the Prog…

Each nurse who requests to participate in the Program shall be informed in writing of the Program’s procedures, including the rights and responsibilities of the nurse, and the consequences of noncompliance with the procedures, including suspension and termination of the nursing l…

(a) The Committee may disclose records relating to an impaired nurse only: (1) When disclosure of the information is essential to the intervention, treatment, or rehabilitation needs of the impaired nurse; (2) When release of the information has been authorized in writing by the …

The members of the Committee shall be immune from liability in the exercise of their duties.

(a) Admission to the Program is voluntary. (b) A colleague, employer, or the Board may refer impaired nurses to the Program through a self-report, formal complaint. (c) A nurse requesting admission to the Program may not have: (1) Caused an injury to an individual while practicin…

(a) To qualify as a designated treatment facility to which a nurse in the Program may be referred, the treatment facility shall meet the following criteria: (1) The treatment facility shall have a specific, identified contact person to whom the nurse can be referred for assistanc…

(a) Records shall be confidential and maintained in a locked file in the office of the Board. (b) A nurse’s records shall be destroyed 2 years after the nurse’s satisfactory discharge from the Program.

(a) A nurse participating in the Program who moves to a jurisdiction where a rehabilitation program is in place and applies for licensure in that jurisdiction shall be transferred to that jurisdiction’s rehabilitation program. (b) A nurse participating in the Program who moves to…

The Committee shall publish an informational booklet describing the Program for the public. The booklet shall be updated as may be necessary.

The Board shall require reports from the Committee annually and at such other times as it believes may be necessary and appropriate. The reports shall include: (1) Information concerning the number of cases accepted, denied, and terminated, with compliance or noncompliance; and (…