Bill Text: CA AB2010 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Veterinary medicine: veterinary surgery premises: spay and neuter services.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Passed) 2026-09-18 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 284, Statutes of 2026. [AB2010 Detail]
Download: California-2025-AB2010-Chaptered.html
Assembly Bill
No. 2010
CHAPTER 284
An act to amend Section 4854 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts.
[
Approved by
Governor
September 18, 2026.
Filed with
Secretary of State
September 18, 2026.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2010, Soria.
Veterinary medicine: veterinary surgery premises: spay and neuter services.
Existing law, the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, establishes the California Veterinary Medical Board to license and regulate the practice of veterinary medicine. The act requires all premises where veterinary medicine, veterinary dentistry, or veterinary surgery is being practiced to be kept clean and sanitary at all times and conform to minimum standards established by the board.
This bill would specify that high-volume spay or neuter services, as defined, shall not be required to be performed in a separate surgical room. The bill would make related findings and declarations.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act to expand access to high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter services in accordance with the prevailing standard of care for these services.(b) It is further the intent of the Legislature that high-volume spay or neuter services, as defined, are not required to be performed in a separate surgery room, and that any related surgery room requirements shall not apply to high-volume spay or neuter services.
(c) Nothing in this act is intended to exempt high-volume spay or neuter services from any other requirement applicable to the practice of veterinary medicine, nor exempt traditional non-high-volume spay or neuter services from any existing requirements.
SEC. 2.
Section 4854 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:4854.
(a) All premises where veterinary medicine, veterinary dentistry, or veterinary surgery is being practiced, and all instruments, apparatus and apparel used in connection with those practices, shall be kept clean and sanitary at all times, and shall conform to those minimum standards established by the board.(b) Notwithstanding any other law, high-volume spay or neuter services
shall not be required to be performed in a separate surgical room.
(c) For purposes of this section, “high-volume spay or neuter services” means the aseptic surgical sterilization by a
veterinarian of 20 or more dogs, cats, or rabbits, or any combination thereof, within 12 consecutive hours.
