1.

1. (a) Each veterinarian, licensed pursuant to this article, required to register triennially with the department to practice in this state shall comply with the provisions of the mandatory continuing education requirements, except as set forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this subdivision. Veterinarians who do not satisfy the mandatory continuing education requirements shall not practice until they have met such requirements and have been issued a registration or conditional registration certificate.
2. (b) Veterinarians shall be exempt from the mandatory continuing education requirement for the triennial registration period during which they are first licensed. In accordance with the intent of this section, adjustments to the mandatory continuing education requirement may be granted by the department for reasons of health, certified by a physician, for extended active duty with the armed forces of the United States, or for other good cause acceptable to the department which may prevent compliance. Veterinarians engaged on a full-time basis in the teaching of veterinary medicine at a veterinary education program registered by the department or accredited or approved by an acceptable accrediting organization shall be exempt from the requirements of this section.
3. (c) A licensed veterinarian not engaged in professional practice shall be exempt from the mandatory continuing education requirement upon the filing of a statement with the department declaring such status. Any licensee who returns to the practice of veterinary medicine shall notify the department prior to reentering the profession and shall meet such mandatory continuing education requirements as shall be prescribed by regulation of the commissioner.

2.

1. (a) During each triennial registration period an applicant for registration shall complete a minimum of forty-five hours of acceptable formal continuing education, a maximum of twenty-two and one-half hours of which may be self-instructional coursework acceptable to the department.

   1. (i) Self-instructional coursework may include free spaying and neutering and other veterinary services in conjunction with a municipality, duly incorporated not-for-profit society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, duly incorporated humane society, or duly incorporated animal protection association or persons who would otherwise be eligible under paragraph (a) of subdivision three of section one hundred seventeen-a of the agriculture and markets law, provided that such services be administered at practices, facilities and properties that are appropriately equipped and staffed to provide such services.
   2. (ii) The department may offset up to three hours of the requisite number of hours of continuing education required pursuant to this paragraph by the number of free spaying and neutering services rendered by an applicant, at a rate of one-half of one hour of continuing education for each hour of free spaying and neutering services, provided that a veterinarian shall be required to provide follow-up service for any post-operative complications related to the surgery that arise within twenty-four hours of performing the surgery, and shall also be required to complete the core requirements established by the department.
2. (b) Any veterinarian whose first registration date following the effective date of this section occurs less than three years from such effective date, but on or after January first, two thousand twelve, shall complete continuing education hours on a prorated basis at the rate of one and one-quarter hours per month for the period beginning January first, two thousand twelve up to the first registration date thereafter. A licensee who has not satisfied the mandatory continuing education requirements shall not be issued a triennial registration certificate by the department and shall not practice unless and until a conditional registration certificate is issued as provided in subdivision three of this section, or until he or she has otherwise met the requirements of this section. The individual licensee shall determine the selection of courses or programs of study pursuant to subdivision four of this section.