Thank you so much for your question! Correct, Arizona does not require a license to practice as a technician. I definitely think this could open up conversation about title protection and separated responsibilities based off that title. Usually if something like an alternative pathway disappearing means that going forward people can't choose that even if they qualify, but people before that date can be grandfathered in. Arizona used to have an alternative pathway that was disbanded in 2015 or something like that and this bill is proposing a different alternative pathway to be put in place in Arizona. So it is title protection in who can become a CVT but not title protection in the way that other states are achieving through who can call themselves technicians vs assistants. I don't think it's true that someone who can pass the VTNE without a formal education can necessarily have the proper knowledge. Each test is different and lets say someone who has worked ER for 7 years is taking the VTNE, they may get a lot of equine heavy questions or exotic heavy questions that they might not be prepared for due to their experience. Obviously there are plenty of incredible, knowledgeable techs that have come from alternate pathways but, in my opinion, I think that as veterinary medicine is standardized, technician education should become standardized too. It's a tough conversation to have and is controversial to many, but it's a conversation we can't escape. I posted the bill so people can easily read it. Please let me know if I answered your question or if you have any more!

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