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Florida Senate
-
2026
SB 1382
By
Senator Martin
33-01486-26 20261382__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the practice of veterinary
3 medicine; amending s. 474.201, F.S.; conforming
4 provisions to changes made by the act; amending s.
5 474.202, F.S.; defining terms; amending s. 474.204,
6 F.S.; revising the membership of the Board of
7 Veterinary Medicine; creating s. 474.223, F.S.;
8 requiring the board to adopt specified rules;
9 providing application criteria for the licensure of
10 veterinary technicians; specifying the services a
11 veterinary technician or veterinary technologist must
12 be licensed to perform, under the supervision of a
13 licensed veterinarian; requiring supervising
14 veterinarians to determine the appropriate level of
15 supervision in the performance of such services unless
16 otherwise provided for by board rule or general law,
17 according to specified conditions; specifying that
18 licensed veterinarians are responsible for all
19 services performed by licensed veterinary technicians
20 or veterinary technologists; specifying the services
21 that only licensed veterinarians may perform or
22 provide; authorizing a supervising veterinarian to
23 delegate to a licensed veterinary technician the
24 responsibility of supervising certain tasks performed
25 by unlicensed persons; prohibiting persons from making
26 specified representations; prohibiting veterinary
27 assistants from identifying themselves as veterinary
28 technicians or licensed veterinary technicians unless
29 certain conditions are met; providing a criminal
30 penalty; amending s. 828.30, F.S.; conforming
31 provisions to changes made by the act; providing an
32 effective date.
33
34 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
35
36 Section 1. Section 474.201, Florida Statutes, is amended to
37 read:
38 474.201 Purpose.—The Legislature finds that the practice of
39 veterinary medicine is potentially dangerous to the public
40 health and safety if conducted by incompetent and unlicensed
41 practitioners
and veterinary technicians
. The legislative
42 purpose in enacting this chapter is to ensure that every
43 veterinarian
and licensed veterinary technician
practicing in
44 this state meet minimum requirements for safe practice. It is
45 the legislative intent that veterinarians
and licensed
46
veterinary technicians
who are
incompetent
not normally
47
competent
or who otherwise present a danger to the public shall
48 be disciplined or prohibited from practicing in this state.
49 Section 2. Present subsections (6) through (12), (13), and
50 (14) of section 474.202, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
51 subsections (7) through (13), (15), and (19), respectively, and
52 new subsections (6) and (14) and subsections (16), (17), and
53 (18) are added to that section, to read:
54 474.202 Definitions.—As used in this chapter:
55
(6)
“Licensed veterinary technician” means a person who
56
practices veterinary technology in this state and is licensed
57
under the authority of this chapter.
58
(14)
“Veterinary assistant” means a person who practices on
59
a veterinary team providing medical care for animals and who is
60
not a licensed veterinary technician.
61
(16)
“Veterinary technician” means a person who has
62
graduated with an associate degree from a veterinary technology
63
training program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical
64
Association Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and
65
Activities (CVTEA).
66
(17)
“Veterinary technologist” means a person who has
67
graduated with a bachelor’s degree from a veterinary technology
68
training program accredited by the CVTEA.
69
(18)
“Veterinary technology” means the science and art of
70
providing certain aspects of the medical care and treatment of
71
patients within an established veterinarian/client/patient
72
relationship by a veterinary technician or veterinary
73
technologist which are delegated and supervised by a
74
veterinarian. The term does not include diagnosis, surgery, or
75
the prescription of medications.
76 Section 3. Subsection (2) of section 474.204, Florida
77 Statutes, is amended to read:
78 474.204 Board of Veterinary Medicine.—
79 (2)
(a)
Five members of the board
must
shall
be licensed
80 veterinarians.
81
(b)
One member of the board must be a licensed veterinary
82
technician who has been actively engaged in the practice of
83
veterinary technology for at least 5 years immediately preceding
84
the date of appointment to the board.
85
(c)
One member of the board must be a layperson
Two members
86
of the board shall be laypersons
who
is
are
not and
has
have
87 never been
a veterinarian or member
veterinarians or members
of
88 any closely related profession or occupation.
89 Section 4. Section 474.223, Florida Statutes, is created to
90 read:
91
474.223
Licensed veterinary technicians.—
92
(1)
The board shall adopt rules to regulate the profession
93
and practice of veterinary technology.
94
(2)
A person may become licensed as a veterinary technician
95
if he or she submits an application to the board and meets all
96
of the following requirements:
97
(a)
Has graduated from a college program of veterinary
98
technology accredited by the American Veterinary Medical
99
Association Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and
100
Activities.
101
(b)
Has obtained a passing score on the Veterinary
102
Technician National Exam, as determined by the American
103
Association of Veterinary State Boards.
104
(c)
Demonstrates knowledge of the laws and rules governing
105
the practice of veterinary technology in this state in a manner
106
designated by rules of the board.
107
(3)
A person who is a certified veterinary technician in
108
good standing with the Florida Veterinary Technician Association
109
or the Florida Veterinary Medical Association may become
110
licensed as a veterinary technician if he or she submits an
111
application to the board and demonstrates knowledge of the laws
112
and rules governing the practice of veterinary technology in
113
this state in a manner designated by rules of the board.
114
(4)
A veterinary technician or a veterinary technologist
115
must be licensed under this section to perform the following
116
veterinary technology services under the supervision of a
117
licensed veterinarian:
118
(a)
Arterial and central venous catheterization.
119
(b)
Euthanasia, under the immediate supervision of a
120
veterinarian.
121
(c)
Intraperitoneal injections.
122
(d)
Placement of gastric, nasoesophageal, and nasogastric
123
tubes.
124
(e)
Suture or staple skin lacerations, gingival incisions,
125
or existing surgical incisions.
126
(f)
Paravertebral blocks and epidurals.
127
(g)
A complex single root extraction that is beyond a
128
simple digital extraction of a tooth
and
that requires
129
periosteal elevation but does not require sectioning of the
130
tooth or of the bone.
131
(h)
Blood or blood component collection, preparation, and
132
administration for transfusion or blood banking purposes.
133
(i)
Ear flushing with powered mechanical devices creating
134
pressure or suction.
135
(j)
A thoracentesis or an abdominocentesis.
136
(k)
Application of casts, splints, and slings for the
137
immobilization of fractures.
138
(l)
Placement of an epidural, an intraosseous, or a nasal
139
catheter.
140
(m)
Administering rabies vaccinations, under the immediate
141
supervision of a veterinarian.
142
(n)
Examinations performed within a previously established
143
veterinarian/client/patient relationship for routine health care
144
needs, follow-up treatment, or accepted animal husbandry on
145
livestock, excluding an examination required for the purpose of
146
state or federal health certificates.
147
(5)
Unless otherwise provided for in this section or
148
designated by board rule, the supervising veterinarian shall
149
determine the appropriate level of supervision and protocol for
150
a service under subsection (4). All other tasks may be performed
151
by licensed or unlicensed persons at the discretion of the
152
supervising veterinarian. In determining the appropriate level
153
of supervision, the veterinarian
shall
consider the level of
154
training and experience of the person to whom the task is
155
delegated. However, the licensed veterinarian is responsible for
156
all services performed by such persons, regardless of licensure,
157
and only a licensed veterinarian may make or provide any
158
diagnosis, perform any surgery, or prescribe any medicinal drugs
159
as defined in s. 465.003 or controlled substances as defined in
160
s. 893.02.
161
(6)
A supervising veterinarian may, in his or her
162
discretion, delegate to a licensed veterinary technician the
163
responsibility of supervising a task performed by an unlicensed
164
person, except for a service under subsection (4).
165
(7)(a)
A person may not:
166
1.
Lead
others
to believe that he or she is a licensed
167
veterinary technician or is engaged in the licensed practice of
168
veterinary technology unless he or she holds a valid, active
169
license under this section.
170
2.
Use the name or title “licensed veterinary technician”
171
if he or she is not licensed pursuant to this section.
172
(b)
A veterinary assistant may not identify himself or
173
herself as a veterinary technician or a licensed veterinary
174
technician unless he or she is a graduate of an accredited
175
veterinary technology program or licensed under this chapter, as
176
applicable.
177
(c)
A person who violates this subsection commits a
178
misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
179
775.082 or s. 775.083.
180 Section 5. Subsection (1) of section 828.30, Florida
181 Statutes, is amended to read:
182 828.30 Rabies vaccination of dogs, cats, and ferrets.—
183 (1)(a) All dogs, cats, and ferrets 4 months of age or older
184 must be vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian
, a licensed
185
veterinary technician under the immediate supervision of a
186
veterinarian,
or a person authorized under paragraph (b) against
187 rabies with a vaccine that is licensed by the United States
188 Department of Agriculture for use in those species.
189 (b) Acting under the indirect supervision of a
190 veterinarian, an employee, an agent, or a contractor of a county
191 or municipal animal control authority or sheriff may vaccinate
192 against rabies dogs, cats, and ferrets that are in the custody
193 of an animal control authority or a sheriff and which will be
194 transferred, rescued, fostered, adopted, or reclaimed by the
195 owner. The supervising veterinarian assumes responsibility for
196 any person vaccinating animals at his or her direction or under
197 his or her direct or indirect supervision. As used in this
198 paragraph, the term “indirect supervision” means that the
199 supervising veterinarian is required to be available for
200 consultation through telecommunications but is not required to
201 be physically present during such consultation.
202 (c) The owner of every dog, cat, and ferret shall have the
203 animal revaccinated 12 months after the initial vaccination.
204 Thereafter, the interval between vaccinations shall conform to
205 the vaccine manufacturer’s directions. The cost of vaccination
206 must be borne by the animal’s owner. Evidence of circulating
207 rabies virus neutralizing antibodies may not be used as a
208 substitute for current vaccination in managing rabies exposure
209 or determining the need for booster vaccinations.
210 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.