Have you contacted your legislators to support the
Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act?
If not, please do so immediately!
The ISVMA has introduced a comprehensive amendment to the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act. These bills impact every veterinary professional in Illinois and make important changes to protect the health and welfare of animals and the public.
The amendment is contained in two identical bills introduced in the Illinois House of Representatives (HB5377) and the Illinois State Senate (SB3712). Please contact your legislators and ask them to support these important bills! It will take less than a minute to complete each alert message. You may modify the message subject or content as you wish (personalization can be advantageous).
• ALERT #1 (to representatives): http://capwiz.com/isvma/issues/alert/?alertid=14701606
• ALERT #2 (to senators): http://capwiz.com/isvma/issues/alert/?alertid=14701661
House Bill 5377 (the ISVMA Practice Act amendment) will be voted upon in the House Healthcare Licensing Committee. The committee is made up of the following legislators.
State Representatives on Healthcare Licensing Committee |
REMIND COLLEAGUES & ASSOCIATES TO GET INVOLVED! • 231 ISVMA members (8.4%) have sent 490 emails to legislators using the ISVMA grassroots advocacy network. |
|
|---|---|---|
| • Dan Reitz (D-Sparta) - Chairperson | ||
| • Brandon Phelps (D-Harrisburg) - Vice Chairperson | ||
| • Angelo "Skip" Saviano (R-Elmwood Park) - Republican Spokesperson |
||
| • Elizabeth Coulson (R-Glenview) | ||
| • Greg Harris (D-Chicago) | ||
| • Eddie Lee Jackson, Sr. (D-East St. Louis) | ||
| • Renee Kosel (R-Mokena) | ||
| • Michael McAuliffe (R-Chicago) | ||
| • Kevin McCarthy (D-Orland Park) | ||
| • David Miller (D-Dolton) | ||
| • Rosemary Mulligan (R-Des Plaines) | ||
| • Patrick Verschoore (D-Rock Island) |
If you personally know, practice or live in the legislative district of any member of the House Healthcare Licensing Committee (below), we ask that you either make a personal visit or call the legislator's office. Personal contact with those that will be voting on House Bill 5377 in committee is of critical importance!
You can find out who your legislators are (both practice and home address) by using the ISVMA Legislative Action Center. Key in your address(es) and follow the links to the contact information for your State Representative (will vote on House Bill 5377) and State Senator (will vote on Senate Bill 3712).
WHY IS THIS LEGISLATION SO IMPORTANT?
The Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act defines the veterinary profession and establishes the limitations on the scope practice; making veterinarians the pirmary health care providers for animals. A well organized coalition of complementary and alternative therapy providers have hired lobbyists to represent their interests in Springfield and are flooding legislators' offices with requests to oppose the ISVMA's efforts to update and strengthen your Practice Act.
WHO ARE THE OPPONENTS?
The most active opponents of the bill belong to the Illinois Alliance for Animal Owners Rights (IAAOR). The membership of this group is comprised of non-veterinarian nutritionists, massage therapists, aromatherapists, homeopaths, animal communicators, spiritual healers, TTouch practitioners, and physical therapists and other complementary and alternative therapy providers.The IAAOR has distributed an inacurrate and inflammatory position paper to legislators as part of their effort to defeat House Bill 5377.
WHAT CAN ISVMA MEMBERS DO?
It is critical that we reach out to legislators NOW to protect the health and welfare of animals and the public. ISVMA has prepared some background information and position papers (below) that you can share with your legislators. If you haven't already, contact them using them using the action alert links above.
Thank you for your participation and support!
