HB 255

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to rabies vaccination; amending s. 828.30,
3	F.S.; revising requirements for the frequency of rabies
4	vaccination for specified animals; revising rabies
5	vaccination certificate requirements; deleting an obsolete
6	provision; prohibiting local governments from mandating
7	revaccination of currently vaccinated animals except in
8	specified instances; providing legislative findings;
9	providing an effective date.
10
11	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13	Section 1.  Subsections (1), (3), (4), and (7) of section
14	828.30, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
15	828.30  Rabies vaccination of dogs, cats, and ferrets.--
16	(1)  All dogs, cats, and ferrets 4 months of age or older
17	must be vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian against rabies
18	with a vaccine that is licensed by the United States Department
19	of Agriculture for use in those species. The owner of every dog,
20	cat, and ferret shall have the animal revaccinated 12 months
21	after the initial vaccination. Thereafter, the interval between
22	vaccinations shall conform to the vaccine manufacturer's
23	directions Government-approved vaccine. The cost of vaccination
24	must be borne by the animal's owner. Evidence of circulating
25	rabies virus neutralizing antibodies shall not be used as a
26	substitute for current vaccination in managing rabies exposure
27	or determining the need for booster vaccinations.
28	(3)  Upon vaccination against rabies, the licensed
29	veterinarian shall provide the animal's owner and the animal
30	control authority with a rabies vaccination certificate. Each
31	animal control authority and veterinarian shall use Form 51,
32	"Rabies Vaccination Certificate," of the National Association of
33	State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV) or an equivalent form
34	approved by the local government that contains all the
35	information required by NASPHV Form 51. The veterinarian who
36	administers the rabies vaccine to an animal as required under
37	this section may affix his or her signature stamp in lieu of an
38	actual signature. which must contain at least the following
39	information:
40	(a)  The license number of the administering veterinarian.
41	(b)  The name, address, and phone number of the
42	veterinarian and owner.
43	(c)  The date of vaccination.
44	(d)  The expiration date of the vaccination.
45	(e)  The species, age, sex, color, breed, weight, and name
46	of the animal vaccinated.
47	(f)  The rabies vaccine manufacturer.
48	(g)  The vaccine lot number and expiration date.
49	(h)  The type and brand of vaccine used.
50	(i)  The route of administration of the vaccine.
51	(j)  the signature or signature stamp of the licensed
52	veterinarian.
53	(4)  Beginning March 1, 1999, Each ferret vaccinated
54	according to this section must be quarantined, when necessary,
55	according to rules of the Department of Health.
56	(7)  This section does not prohibit or limit municipalities
57	or counties from establishing enacting requirements similar to
58	or more stringent than the provisions of this section for the
59	implementation and enforcement of rabies-control ordinances.
60	However, local governments shall not mandate revaccination of
61	currently vaccinated animals except in instances involving post-
62	exposure treatment for rabies.
63	Section 2.  The Legislature finds that it is necessary to
64	require that dogs, cats, and ferrets be currently vaccinated
65	against rabies in order to protect the public from this deadly
66	disease. The Legislature also finds that the present statute
67	does not clearly specify requirements to revaccinate these
68	animals which has led to unnecessary revaccination of currently
69	vaccinated animals in local jurisdictions which enact
70	requirements that are more stringent. The Legislature finds that
71	in order to maximize protection and minimize risks to the
72	animals, revaccination guidelines outlined in the Department of
73	Health's Florida Rabies Prevention and Control guidebook must be
74	incorporated in s. 828.30, Florida Statutes, the governing
75	statute; however, this approach does not interfere with a
76	veterinarian's discretion to use a rabies vaccine of either 1 or
77	3 years' duration of immunity. The Legislature also determines a
78	need to standardize the rabies certificate form in order to
79	permit easier use by veterinarians and public health officials
80	by adopting the National Association of State Public Health
81	Veterinarians' NASPHV Form 51 or an equivalent form approved by
82	the local government. The Legislature finds that since rabies
83	vaccination programs are administered on a calendar year basis,
84	an implementation date of January 1, 2006, will provide for an
85	orderly transition.
86	Section 3.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2006.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.