This chapter applies to a person who owns or participates in the operation of a limited use veterinary hospital as defined by this chapter. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. Terms Defined. “Board” means the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. Limited Use Veterinary Hospital. “Limited use veterinary hospital” means a building or portion of a building that is regularly used for the treatment of animals on a limited basis without involving surgical procedures by a veterinarian. “Limited use veterinary hospital” includes a facility with services such as vaccinations, heartworm and fecal tests, and the dispensing of preventative medicines. “Person” means an individual, business entity, or veterinarian who owns, operates, or is involved in the ownership or operation of a limited use veterinary hospital. For each licensing year, July 1 through June 30, an owner or operator shall apply for a limited use veterinary hospital license on a Board form and pay the applicable annual fee. A person may not operate a limited use veterinary hospital unless the person holds a valid limited use veterinary hospital license. After giving a person notice and an opportunity to be heard, the Board may reject that person's application for a limited use veterinary hospital license, or suspend or revoke a limited use veterinary hospital license the Board previously issued if the: Veterinary hospital does not meet the minimum requirements for a limited use veterinary hospital as provided under this chapter; Applicant, owner, or operator fails to pay the required annual fee; or Applicant, owner, or operator fails to allow the Board to inspect the facility during normal business hours. A holder of a limited use veterinary hospital license may not transfer the license to another. A person who owns or operates a limited use veterinary hospital is responsible for: Keeping the hospital area clean where veterinary service is performed; Having a separate room, in the building where limited use veterinary hospital services are performed, which: Is of adequate size; Shall have adequate lighting and an examination table where the service is performed; May only be used for limited use veterinary hospital services; and May not be used for any other purpose such as storage, grooming, or boarding animals; Proper refrigeration and proper care of medicine used at the limited use veterinary hospital as required by applicable medicine label instructions; Handling waste materials that are generated from an animal that does not have a disease transmissible to humans as follows: Sharps, including but not limited to syringes, needles, and surgical instruments, shall be placed in a rigid, tightly lidded container that is impervious to puncture and the container shall be placed in a leak-proof plastic sack or plastic-lined paper bag before disposal; Animal tissues, including blood if it is in liquid form, shall be placed in one of the following: Sanitary sewer if allowed under any local ordinance or regulation and the Environment Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, Leak-proof disposable container, such as a plastic sack or a plastic-lined paper bag, which, before disposal in a legally acceptable manner, shall be placed in a rigid, opaque container; Keeping a positive pressure oxygen delivery system for small animal patients where medically indicated; Keeping records at the hospital for 3 years showing the veterinarian's name, date of service, animal owner's name, and service given and upon request by the board or a client making all records available for inspection; and Posting the hospital's limited use veterinary hospital license in the immediate area where limited veterinary services are provided. A surgical procedure may not be performed at a limited use veterinary hospital. Agriculture Article, §2-304.1, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: July 15, 1996 (23:14 Md. R. 1011) Regulation .04A amended effective October 15, 2012 (39:20 Md. R. 1308)