April 16, 2026
CACVT values its ongoing partnership with the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) and shares a strong commitment to advancing, protecting, and elevating the veterinary technician profession. Both CACVT and NAVTA agree on several core principles: that credentialed veterinary technicians are essential members of the veterinary healthcare team, that high standards of education and clinical competency are critical to patient safety, and that meaningful, accessible career advancement pathways for technicians must be strengthened.
We recognize that NAVTA’s recent position statement (published March 12, 2026) now expresses opposition to the current Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA) model at a national level. CACVT acknowledges and respects this perspective, which reflects important concerns regarding clinical training, workforce integration, and the long-term structure of the profession.
At the same time, CACVT operates within the regulatory and legislative reality of Colorado, where the VPA role has already been established in statute. As such, our responsibility is to ensure that implementation of this role prioritizes patient safety, supports veterinary teams, and meaningfully includes and advances credentialed veterinary technicians.
While we acknowledge NAVTA’s position, CACVT must respectfully diverge to maintain our voice and effectively represent Colorado veterinary technicians within this reality.
Since the VPA role was enacted, CACVT’s position has been—and will remain—focused on working in partnership to ensure safe and appropriate implementation of the role, particularly as it relates to veterinary technicians.
CACVT’s approach is therefore focused on:
We believe these efforts are consistent with NAVTA’s longstanding support for technician advancement and professional development, even as our organizations approach the VPA model from different vantage points.
In this context, CACVT’s role is to help shape how this model functions in Colorado, ensuring that it evolves in a way that is safe, equitable, and supportive of the veterinary technician workforce. We remain committed to collaborating with NAVTA and other stakeholders to advance shared goals for the profession.
CACVT remains steadfast in its mission: to advocate for veterinary technicians, promote excellence in veterinary care, and ensure that the future of the profession is built with technicians at its core.
There’s been a lot of conversation recently about the Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA) role—and we want to provide important context about what Colorado has already accomplished.
Colorado didn’t skip steps; we did the work. While the VPA role has gotten a lot of coverage the last few years, not just in Colorado but across the nation, CACVT has been part of making meaningful, lasting, and impactful changes specific for veterinary technicians outside that attention. Over the past several years, CACVT has led and supported major advancements for veterinary technicians, many of which are the very things being discussed nationally as prerequisites to expanding roles in veterinary medicine.
Colorado is in a unique position. Many of the concerns being raised nationally—scope of practice, credentialing, career pathways, and technician utilization—have already been addressed here through years of legislative and regulatory work.
Here’s what CACVT’s work looks like:
✔️ Completed the sunrise review process
✔️ Established registration and title protection for veterinary technicians under DORA
✔️ Published formal opposition to the VPA as proposed at the time
✔️ Identified key gaps: no defined scope of practice for RVTs or VPAs, no VTS pathway, limited regulatory structure
✔️ Participated in opposition efforts to Proposition 129
✔️ Focused on advancing RVTs and VTSs as the foundation of access to care
✔️ Passed HB24-1047, which is one of the most comprehensive veterinary technician scope of practice laws in the country that:
– Defined scope of practice
– Created VTS designation with title protection and expanded scope
– Established clear delegation standards
– Required CE for veterinarians on utilizing RVTs
✔️ Developed rules and implementation guidance (“guidebook”) for HB24-1047
✔️ Updated CACVT’s VPA position to reflect the realities of implementation, adjusting our position from one of opposition to one of collaboration and thoughtful implementation
✔️ Supported HB25-1285 to establish guardrails around VPA practice and create a potential VTS-to-VPA pathway
✔️ Actively participating in rulemaking for Proposition 129 and HB25-1285
✔️ Continuing to advocate for veterinary technicians throughout implementation
Our focus is now ensuring that implementation:
✔️ protects patient safety
✔️ supports veterinary teams
✔️ and meaningfully includes credentialed veterinary technicians
We are proud of the work Colorado has done—and we remain committed to leading thoughtfully through what comes next. We welcome continued dialogue and encourage respectful, informed discussion as the profession continues to evolve.
CACVT is always in favor of promoting advanced career pathways for RVTs and VTSs. We want to see the development of the VPA position done responsibly to promote a quality standard of practice that is beneficial for both Colorado’s animals and veterinary technicians seeking to work in this newly created role.
Erin Henninger, Executive Director
Jen Steckline, Membership Director
Lisa Visnosky, Credentialing Coordinator
2000 S Colorado Blvd
Bldg 1-2000
Denver, CO 80222
Business Hours
Mon-Thurs: 8am-4pm
Friday: 8am-11am
Sat-Sun: Closed
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