Legislative Reform

What does the Veterinary Professionals Act mean for RVTs?

The Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024 is a positive next step in acknowledging the evolving role of Registered Veterinary Technicians in the veterinary profession.

The legislation will enable RVTs to use their education and training to benefit animals, veterinary teams, and the public. The legislation will also ensure RVTs have a seat at the Council table where the profession is governed, increasing representation of RVTs’ interests and concerns.

Under the new legislation, RVT regulation will shift from the OAVT to a new regulatory college, The College of Veterinary Professionals, regulating veterinarians and RVTs together. This change will allow the OAVT to focus exclusively on its mandate as the professional association for RVTs.

What happens now that the Veterinary Professionals Act has passed?

With the passage of the Act, the first step towards creating and implementing a new regulatory regime for veterinary professionals was the creation of a Transition Council that will work with the College of Veterinary Professionals to develop new regulations governing our profession.

The Transition Council was established in August 2024 and consists of the current legacy College of Veterinarians of Ontario council members, which includes veterinarians and members of the public, and three RVTs appointed by the OAVT. For a full list of council members, please click here.

The Transition Council will also be tasked with creating the rules governing the election of a new council, including RVTs, who will govern the profession moving forward.

Once the Transition Council has established a new set of regulations for the profession and rules governing elections, the regulations will be made available for public comment through the government’s regulatory registry. Once formally approved by the government, a coming into force date will be set, and the process for electing the new council will begin. The OAVT expects this process, including the new regulatory framework, to be complete by 2026*.

When does RVT scope of practice expand under the new Veterinary Professionals Act?

While the scope of practice for veterinary professionals is defined through an authorized activities model within the new legislation, it has not yet come into force. Before RVTs can practice under the new model, regulations must be developed, reviewed and implemented by the government. These regulations will outline the specifics of how the authorized activities model applies to RVTs, DVMs, students and any other professional or person involved in the practice of veterinary medicine.

The OAVT expects the regulatory development process, including clear guidelines for RVTs’ defined scope of practice, to be complete by early 2026*.

Until the regulations come into effect, the current Veterinarians Act remains the legislation that RVTs must adhere to, and the OAVT remains the regulator of the RVT profession. The OAVT will provide regular updates on this process as it continues and will advise RVTs of important dates as they become available.

What will happen to the OAVT once the changes in the Veterinary Professionals Act are implemented?

The OAVT will continue to play a crucial role as the professional association and voice of RVTs in Ontario. The mandate of the OAVT will shift to focus more on providing services and education for RVTs, as well as advocating on behalf of RVTs to the government and other stakeholders.

Like the role of RVTs, the mandate of the OAVT is evolving to serve our members better.

The OAVT values feedback from our members, and we encourage you to share your thoughts on how we, as an organization, can best support RVTs moving forward by emailing us at advocacy@oavt.org.

What is the difference between a professional association and a regulator?

The primary duty of the regulator is to serve and protect the public interest, governing the practice of RVTs and overseeing the profession. Meanwhile, the primary role of a professional association is to serve and advocate for their members with external stakeholders.

When the planned changes to modernize the regulation of veterinary medicine are implemented, the OAVT will transition from its current dual mandate to a single mandate organization. The sole purpose of the OAVT will be to act as the professional association for RVTs, where we will continue to accredit RVT educational programs in the province while expanding our focus on providing services for and advocating on behalf of our members.   

What is the difference between self-regulation and professional regulation?

In practice, the regulatory process between self-regulation and professional regulation has one main difference – who the regulator is. In this case, RVTs are currently self-regulated by the OAVT, but once the Veterinary Professionals Act is implemented, RVTs will be moving to professional regulation held by the new College of Veterinary Professionals. The new College of Veterinary Professionals has the authority to regulate both RVTs and veterinarians with oversight from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (formerly OMAFRA).

In principle, the difference between self-regulation and professional regulation is a significant increase in the recognition of a given profession. Professional regulation indicates the growth of a profession from one that was not considered on par with others who are professionally regulated to one seen as deserving of the same level of standing as others. The move from self-regulation to professional regulation is a very positive sign in the growth of a profession.

How will regulations be decided?

Regulations will be determined in ongoing discussions and partnership between the College of Veterinarians, the Government of Ontario and the professionals who work every day in our industry, including RVTs. The OAVT understands that it is critical for the voice of RVTs to be heard throughout this process and will ensure that you are provided with opportunities to voice your opinions and concerns.

Once draft regulations have been developed, they will be posted online for comment, and the OAVT will make a formal submission outlining our position on the draft proposal. We will be sure to keep our members informed as this process progresses.

If there are specific regulations you would like to comment on or to see in place, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at advocacy@oavt.org.

How can RVTs submit feedback to the regulatory development process?

The OAVT wants to know what its members have to say about the upcoming regulations that will govern the future of our profession.  Please click here to share your feedback.

If you would like to communicate directly with the Council or College, we will be happy to provide specific direction via email: advocacy@oavt.org

Are RVTs still able to make recommendations on the Veterinary Professionals Act?

No, the Veterinary Professionals Act received Royal Assent on June 6, 2024, making the Act legally binding within Ontario.

While the opportunity to submit recommendations on the contents of the Act has passed, RVTs will have many opportunities to discuss and comment on the development of regulations.

The OAVT wants to know what its members have to say about the upcoming regulations that will govern the future of our profession. Please click here to share your feedback.

If you would like to communicate directly with the Council or College, we will be happy to provide specific direction via email: advocacy@oavt.org

How will the OAVT ensure the RVT voice is heard during this process?

The OAVT is committed to ensuring that the voice of RVTs is heard throughout this process. The OAVT is in regular contact with our partners at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, ensuring they are aware of any RVT concerns. We also regularly engage with our partners at the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) and Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) to ensure we coordinate our efforts wherever possible.

The OAVT will provide regular updates to RVTs about any ongoing work and create opportunities for RVTs to share their thoughts and feelings throughout this process. We encourage open communication and invite you to contact us at advocacy@oavt.org if you have any questions or would like to discuss further.

When will RVTs become licensed with the College, and how much will it cost?

RVTs will be licensed through the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario, which will be established when the regulations and By-Laws governing veterinary professionals are in place. The OAVT expects this process to be complete by early 2026*.

With licensure available through the College, they will also establish costs. A fee structure will be developed as part of the transition process.

*timelines are an estimate and subject to change

The new Veterinary Professionals Act will distinguish for the first time between RVTs and the other non-credentialled staff who work in veterinary practices.

This change will formalize the one profession, two professionals model that is already widely in practice among modern veterinary teams. RVTs will finally be able to practice to the full scope of their training, enabling them to use their education and training to benefit animals, veterinary teams, and the public. The legislation will also ensure RVTs have a seat at the Council table where the profession is governed, increasing representation of RVTs’ interests and concerns.

And while change is good, we haven’t lost sight of all the hard work and amazing accomplishments of RVTs who got us to this point. We will continue to recognize and celebrate our past, while leveraging the platform that has been built to continue expanding the scope and recognition of our profession into the future.

Along with our partners at the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) and the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), we will continue to work alongside the government as regulations are developed.

We also hope you will use your voice to join us throughout this process to ensure that the government gets this right for RVTs. We want to know what you have to say about this new legislation and the future of our profession. Please share your feedback here.

 Questions? Email advocacy@oavt.org 

We will continue to post the latest updates and communications regarding modernizing veterinary medicine in Ontario here:

• The OAVT has appointed three RVTs to the Transition Council. Read the press release here.
• The new Veterinary Professionals Act received Royal Assent on June 6, 2024. Read our press release here.
• The OAVT has been regularly updating its members through email on the progress of the Veterinary Professionals Act: May 10, April 29, March 28, March 15, March 7
• The Veterinary Professionals Act under the Enhancing Professional Care of Animals Act was announced on March 7th. See the OAVT press release. 
• The Ontario government has also released a press release and background information about the new bill. The full bill is available to read here.
• RVT Month 2023 Update from OAVT President Kirsti Clarida, RVT
• Based on member feedback, the OAVT responded to the discussion paper in Spring 2023. Read it here.
• The OAVT hosted multiple town hall meetings in Spring 2023 to help RVTs learn more and respond to the discussion paper. See more details here.
• The next phase of the consultation process to modernize the regulation of the veterinary profession in Ontario is now open. Read more here
• Listen to the February 2023 CVO podcast featuring John Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of the OVMA and Elise Wickett, OAVT Executive Director and Registrar discussing legislative reform.
• OMAFRA has announced the Veterinarians Act is now open for public consultation. Read more here.
• OAVT’s October 20, 2022 update to members
• OAVT 2022 Election Toolkit available here
• OAVT’s May 2022 update to members
• OAVT’s October 23, 2020 update to members
• Check out the OAVT’s updated timeline (2015-2020). This is an update to the 1967-2015 OAVT timeline found here.

Continue to check back for more resources to help you as the OAVT increases its advocacy efforts.

• The Different Roles of a Regulator, Professional Association and Union
• OAVT Member Advocacy Resources – Advocacy Tips
• OAVT Member Advocacy Resources – Understanding Ontario’s Provincial Government
• OAVT Member Advocacy Resources – How Government Decisions are Made