HB 1407 - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-2987
08/09
HOUSE BILL 1407
SPONSORS: Rep. Long, Hills. 26
COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration
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ANALYSIS
This bill enables veterinary technicians to provide rabies vaccinations while indirectly supervised by a veterinarian.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-2987
08/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Definitions; Vaccination Against Rabies. Amend RSA 436:99, II to read as follows:
II. "Vaccination against rabies" shall mean the inoculation of a dog, cat, or ferret with a rabies vaccine licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture. [Such vaccination shall be performed by a veterinarian duly licensed to practice veterinary medicine.]
2 Authorization to Vaccinate. New Paragraphs; Vaccination Against Rabies; Authorization to Vaccinate. Amend RSA 436:100 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:
III. Vaccination against rabies may be performed either by a veterinarian licensed to practice in New Hampshire or by a veterinary technician, as defined in rules adopted by the board of veterinary medicine under RSA 541-A, working under the indirect supervision of such veterinarian.
3 Rabies Vaccination; Statement. Amend RSA 436:101, I to read as follows:
I. Before vaccinating any dog, cat, or ferret for rabies, the veterinarian or veterinary technician shall receive the following statement completed by the dog's, cat's, or ferret's owner [in the veterinarian's presence] on the same day: I, __________ (owner's name) __________ , swear that to my knowledge this dog, cat, or ferret has not bitten anyone within 10 days. The veterinarian shall retain the statement in the veterinarian's files until the dog's, cat's, or ferret's next vaccination.
4 Duty of Veterinarian or Veterinary Technician. Amend RSA 436:102 to read as follows:
436:102 Duties of Veterinarian.
It shall be the duty of each veterinarian or veterinary technician, at the time of vaccinating any dog, cat, or ferret, to complete a certificate of rabies vaccination in triplicate which includes the following information: the signature of the veterinarian or person authorized by the veterinarian to provide a signature, owner's name and address, description of dog, cat, or ferret (breed, sex, markings, age, name), date of vaccination, rabies vaccination tag number, type of rabies vaccine administered, manufacturer's serial number of vaccine, and the expiration date of the vaccination. Distribution of copies of the certificate shall be: the original to the owner, one copy retained by the issuing or supervising veterinarian and, within 40 days of the vaccination, one copy to the town or city clerk where the dog, cat, or ferret is kept. The veterinarian and the owner shall retain their copies for the interval between vaccinations specified in RSA 436:100. A metal or durable plastic tag, serially numbered, shall be securely attached to the collar or harness of the dog. Whenever the dog is out-of-doors, off the owner's premises, and not under the control of the owner or handler while working the dog, the collar or harness with the vaccination tag shall be worn. For the purposes of this section, "working the dog" means a dog doing a defined functional canine activity with its owner or handler such as hunting, field work, drafting, and guarding, working, or herding livestock, as defined in RSA 21:34-a, II(a)(4), or participating in any lawful competitive event, including, but not limited to, conformation shows or obedience trials, field trials, agility events, hunts, sled races, or training activities pertinent to functional canine activities. Cats and ferrets shall not be required to wear the collar or harness with the tag.
5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
Dec. 4, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Executive Departments and Administration