| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to animal service providers; amending s. |
| 3 | 474.203, F.S.; providing that ch. 474, F.S., relating to |
| 4 | veterinary medical practice, does not apply to a part-time |
| 5 | worker or an independent contractor who is hired by an |
| 6 | owner to provide certain services; providing for |
| 7 | retroactive effect; providing an effective date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 474.203, Florida |
| 12 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 13 | 474.203 Exemptions.--This chapter shall not apply to: |
| 14 | (5)(a) Any person, or the person's regular employee, |
| 15 | administering to the ills or injuries of her or his own animals, |
| 16 | including, but not limited to, castration, spaying, and |
| 17 | dehorning of herd animals, unless title has been transferred or |
| 18 | employment provided for the purpose of circumventing this law. |
| 19 | This exemption shall not apply to out-of-state veterinarians |
| 20 | practicing temporarily in the state. However, only a |
| 21 | veterinarian may immunize or treat an animal for diseases which |
| 22 | are communicable to humans and which are of public health |
| 23 | significance. |
| 24 | (b) A person hired on a part-time or temporary basis, or |
| 25 | as an independent contractor, by an owner to assist with herd |
| 26 | management and animal husbandry tasks for herd and flock |
| 27 | animals, including castration, dehorning, parasite control, and |
| 28 | debeaking, or a person hired on a part-time or temporary basis, |
| 29 | or as an independent contractor, by an owner to provide farriery |
| 30 | and manual hand floating of teeth on equines. |
| 31 |
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| 32 | For the purposes of chapters 465 and 893, persons exempt |
| 33 | pursuant to subsection (1), subsection (2), or subsection (4) |
| 34 | are deemed to be duly licensed practitioners authorized by the |
| 35 | laws of this state to prescribe drugs or medicinal supplies. |
| 36 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law |
| 37 | and shall apply retroactively to January 1, 2006. |