Senate Bill 1878
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1878
By Senator Jones
40-1214-99
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to euthanasia of animals;
3 amending s. 828.058, F.S.; revising the agents
4 and method of administering agents used to
5 euthanize animals; limiting who may perform
6 such procedures; specifying training and
7 continuing education requirements for such
8 persons; providing criteria for euthanasia
9 procedures; providing limitations on the
10 storage and transportation of euthanasia
11 agents; amending s. 828.065, F.S.; revising
12 euthanasia guidelines for the euthanasia of
13 animals sold by pet shops; providing an
14 effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Section 828.058, Florida Statutes, is
19 amended to read:
20 828.058 Euthanasia of animals dogs and cats.--
21 (1) Commercially prepared sodium pentobarbital, whose
22 only indication is for euthanasia of animals a sodium
23 pentobarbital derivative, or another other agent the Board of
24 Veterinary Medicine may approve by rule shall be the only
25 methods used for euthanasia of dogs and cats by public or
26 private agencies, animal shelters, or other facilities that
27 which are operated for the collection and care of stray,
28 neglected, abandoned, or unwanted animals. A lethal solution
29 shall be administered by any of the following methods or
30 combinations of methods, by a person who is humane and
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1878
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1 proficient in the method used used in the following order of
2 preference:
3 (a) Intravenous injection by hypodermic needle;
4 (b) Intraperitoneal injection by hypodermic needle;
5 (c) Intracardial injection by hypodermic needle; or
6 (d) As a last option, a solution or powder given
7 orally added to food.
8 (2) Any animal A dog or cat may be tranquilized,
9 sedated, or anesthetized with an approved and humane substance
10 before euthanasia is performed. When administering an
11 intracardial injection, an animal must first be unconscious or
12 deeply anesthetized. A feral or fractious dog or cat that
13 cannot be handled humanely using an acceptable level of
14 restraint must be deeply anesthetized before being euthanized.
15 (3) When euthanizing an animal other than a dog or
16 cat, procedures approved in the most recent report of the AVMA
17 panel on euthanasia must be followed. The person performing
18 the euthanasia must be humane and proficient in the method
19 chosen.
20 (4)(a)(3) Succinylcholine chloride, curare, curariform
21 mixtures, any substance which acts as a neuromuscular blocking
22 agent, or a chamber which causes a change in body oxygen may
23 not be used on a dog or cat for any purpose.
24 (b) When However, whenever an emergency situation
25 exists which requires the immediate euthanasia of an injured,
26 diseased, or dangerous animal, a law enforcement officer, a
27 veterinarian, or an agent of a local animal control unit, or
28 any society or association for the prevention of cruelty to
29 animals or the designee of such an agent may humanely destroy
30 the animal, as provided in s. 828.05.
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1878
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1 (5)(4)(a) Euthanasia shall be performed only by a
2 licensed veterinarian, a certified veterinary technician, or
3 an employee or agent of a public or private agency, animal
4 shelter, or other facility that is operated for the collection
5 and care of stray, neglected, abandoned, or unwanted animals,
6 provided the employee or agent has successfully completed a
7 24-hour 16-hour euthanasia technician certification course and
8 has maintained the continuing education course requirements in
9 euthanasia. The curriculum for such course must be approved
10 by the Board of Veterinary Medicine and must include, at a
11 minimum, the pharmacology, proper administration, and storage
12 of euthanasia solutions; federal and state laws regulating the
13 storage and accountability of euthanasia solutions; euthanasia
14 technician stress management; and proper disposal of
15 euthanized animals, and must require actual performance of
16 euthanasia. For persons who attend euthanasia certification
17 workshops to be certified through the Florida Animal Control
18 Association, the person teaching the course must first be
19 approved by and certified through the Florida Animal Control
20 Association Board of Directors. An employee or agent
21 performing euthanasia before October 1, 1993, must obtain
22 certification by October 1, 1994. An employee or agent who
23 begins performing euthanasia on or after October 1, 1993, must
24 obtain certification before performing any euthanasia.
25 However, a certified veterinarian technician who is an
26 employee or agent as defined in the subsection, may perform
27 euthanasia without completing the certification course
28 required by this subsection. Euthanasia must be performed in a
29 humane and proficient manner.
30 (b) Effective October 1, 1999, persons who are
31 certified as euthanasia technicians in accordance with
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1 previous statutory requirements for 16-hour certification must
2 obtain, by October 1, 2000, an additional 8 hours of
3 certification training that requires actual performance of
4 euthanasia.
5 (c) Effective October 1, 1999, euthanasia technicians
6 must obtain a minimum of 8 hours of continuing education
7 pertaining to euthanasia every 2 years in order to maintain
8 current certification status.
9 (d) A minimum of two persons must attend to the
10 routine euthanasia of a dog or cat. However, only the person
11 administering the drug must be certified.
12 (e) In emergencies, in order to prevent unnecessary
13 suffering of an animal, euthanasia may be performed by one
14 person.
15 (f)(b) No animal dog or cat may be left unattended
16 between the time euthanasia procedures are first begun,
17 beginning with the administration of any tranquilizers,
18 sedatives, or anesthetics, and the time death is confirmed
19 occurs, nor may its body be disposed of until death is
20 confirmed by a qualified person. Death must be confirmed by
21 the presence of rigor mortis; the absence of a heart beat,
22 determined through the use of a stethoscope, accompanied by
23 the absence of corneal reflex; or the absence of a heart beat
24 determined by cardiac puncture.
25 (6) A certified euthanasia technician may transport,
26 but may not store, sodium pentobarbital in authorized vehicles
27 for the purpose of emergency field euthanasia, if the drug is
28 kept in a securely locked and substantially constructed box
29 that is secured to the vehicle chassis and is inside the cab
30 or operator section of the vehicle and if the drug is removed
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1 from the vehicle and stored in the designated place whenever
2 the technician is off duty.
3 (7)(5) The state attorney may bring an action to
4 enjoin any violation of this act.
5 (8)(6) Any person who violates the provisions of this
6 act is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable
7 as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
8 Section 2. Section 828.065, Florida Statutes, is
9 amended to read:
10 828.065 Euthanasia of animals offered for sale by pet
11 shops.--
12 (1)(a) An A warm-blooded animal, except one held as
13 food for another animal, offered for sale, or obtained for
14 sale by a pet shop may be euthanized only by administering
15 commercially prepared sodium pentobarbital whose only
16 indication is for euthanasia of animals, or another agent the
17 Board of Veterinary Medicine approves, by rule, a sodium
18 pentobarbital derivative, or a substance or procedure which
19 acts on the central nervous system and is clinically proven to
20 be humane.
21 (b) A lethal solution must be administered by any of
22 the following methods or combinations of methods in the
23 following order of preference:
24 1. By intravenous injection by hypodermic needle;
25 2. By intraperitoneal injection by hypodermic needle;
26 3. By intracardial injection by hypodermic needle; or
27 4. As a last option, by solution or powder given
28 orally added to food.
29 (2) An animal may be tranquilized, sedated, or
30 anesthetized with an approved and, humane substance before
31 euthanasia is performed. An animal must be unconscious or
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1 deeply anesthetized before being given an intracardial
2 injection.
3 (3) When euthanizing any animal other than a dog or
4 cat, procedures approved in the most recent report of the AVMA
5 panel on euthanasia must be followed. The person performing
6 the euthanasia must be humane and proficient in the method
7 chosen.
8 (4)(3) Succinylcholine chloride, curare, a curariform
9 mixture, a substance which acts as a neuromuscular blocking
10 agent, or a chamber which causes a change in body oxygen,
11 except a chamber which uses commercially bottled carbon
12 monoxide gas, may not be used on an a warm-blooded animal.
13 (5)(4)(a) Euthanasia must be performed by a licensed
14 veterinarian, a certified veterinary technician, or a
15 certified euthanasia technician or layperson who is humane and
16 proficient in the method used.
17 (b) An animal may not be left unattended between the
18 time euthanasia procedures are commenced, beginning with the
19 administration of any tranquilizers, sedatives, or
20 anesthetics, and the time death is confirmed occurs, nor may
21 its body be disposed of until death is confirmed by a licensed
22 veterinarian, a certified veterinary technician, or a
23 certified euthanasia technician qualified person.
24 (6)(5) The state attorney may bring an action to
25 enjoin a violation of this section.
26 (7)(6) A person who violates this section is guilty of
27 a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in
28 s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, or is guilty of felony animal
29 cruelty, in violation of s. 828.12, punishable as provided in
30 s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
31 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1878
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Revises provisions relating to the euthanasia of animals.
Revises the types of agents permitted and the permitted
4 methods of administering those agents. Limits the persons
who may euthanize animals and specifies training and
5 continuing education requirements for such persons.
Provides limitations on the storage and transportation of
6 such euthanasia agents. Also revises such provisions
relating to the euthanasia of animals sold by pet shops.
7 (See bill for details.)
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