Audit finds Texas vet board has fixed some issues, but there's more work to be done

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new state audit published Tuesday showed the Texas board that oversees licensing and regulating veterinarians has fixed some—but not all—issues highlighted by a state commission.

The audit found the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners has added safeguards and processes to fix issues with data management and enforcement. But the board has more steps to take to address problems the Sunset Advisory Commission found, according to the state auditor report.

These additional issues include improving its enforcement data, more accurately reflecting disciplinary actions and picking licensees for inspection based on risk, the audit said.

The audit and added oversight follows years of issues for the board, including problems with maintaining regulatory and disciplinary information about its licensees. Previous KXAN investigations found issues with the website that lets pet owners search for veterinarians' prior disciplinary records.

In 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill allowing the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to oversee policy and administrative decisions for the vet board for four years.

The Sunset Advisory Commission gave nine recommendations to the board. Four of these recommendations are fully implemented. These include:

• Develop a robust educational process to regularly educate licensees about controlled substances laws, rules, and inspection standards
• Work with both DLR and DIR to determine its database needs, and to acquire and implement a suitable database
• Shadow DLR staff to be trained in licensing, inspection, and enforcement policies and procedures
• Due to the administrative attachment to DLR recommended by Sunset and enacted by the Legislature, the DLR’s Commission on Licensing and Regulation must approve disciplinary actions and certain rule changes proposed by the Board

One recommendation is substantially implemented, meaning a solution was developed but not fully used. This includes improving the tracking of non-jurisdictional complaints.

Four recommendations are ongoing. These include:

• Clearly define and consistently implement its enforcement procedures; develop and publish policies governing a complainant’s access to information
• Improve its enforcement data tracking systems and processes
• Collect and track relevant data to establish a risk-based approach to onsite inspections
• Ensure that the website accurately reflects the disciplinary status of each licensee, as well as making all Board-approved disciplinary orders available and easily found on the website

State lawmakers met Tuesday to talk about the law that temporarily regulates the veterinary board. An internal audit of the vet board is expected to be completed in the fall, TDLR Director Courtney Arbour said. 

Brittney Sharkey, the executive director of the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, told committee leaders her agency has stabilized since she took office. One change was implemented last month, which allows licensees to renew and apply for licenses virtually.

“I am here to tell you today that the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners today is a completely different board than the one I inherited two years ago,” Sharkey said.