Florida Senate - 2015 SB 716
By Senator Hays
11-00757-15 2015716__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to veterinary medical practice;
3 amending s. 474.203, F.S.; requiring individuals
4 otherwise exempt from the requirements of ch. 474,
5 F.S., relating to veterinary medical practice to
6 comply with the veterinary medical patient record
7 requirements; providing an effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11 Section 1. Section 474.203, Florida Statutes, is amended to
12 read:
13 474.203 Exemptions.—This chapter, except s. 474.2165, does
14 not apply to:
15 (1) Any faculty member practicing only in conjunction with
16 teaching duties at a school or college of veterinary medicine
17 located in this state and accredited by the American Veterinary
18 Medical Association Council on Education. However, this
19 exemption applies only to such a faculty member who does not
20 hold a valid license issued under this chapter but who is a
21 graduate of a school or college of veterinary medicine
22 accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association
23 Council on Education or a school or college recognized by the
24 American Veterinary Medical Association Educational Commission
25 for Foreign Veterinary Graduates. The faculty member exemption
26 automatically expires when such school or college terminates the
27 faculty member from such teaching duties. On December 31 of each
28 year, such school or college shall provide the board with a
29 written list of all faculty who are exempt from this chapter.
30 Such school or college shall also notify the board in writing of
31 any additions or deletions to such list.
32 (2) A person practicing as an intern or resident
33 veterinarian who does not hold a valid license issued under this
34 chapter and who is a graduate in training at a school or college
35 of veterinary medicine located in this state and accredited by
36 the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education
37 or a school or college recognized by the American Veterinary
38 Medical Association Educational Commission for Foreign
39 Veterinary Graduates. Such intern or resident must be a graduate
40 of a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the
41 American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education or
42 a school or college of veterinary medicine recognized by the
43 Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates of the
44 American Veterinary Medical Association. This exemption expires
45 when such intern or resident completes or is terminated from
46 such training. Each school or college at which such intern or
47 resident is in training shall, on July 1 of each year, provide
48 the board with a written list of all such interns or residents
49 designated for this exemption, and the school or college shall
50 also notify the board of any additions or deletions to the list.
51 (3) A student in a school or college of veterinary medicine
52 while in the performance of duties assigned by her or his
53 instructor or when working as a preceptor under the immediate
54 supervision of a licensee, if such preceptorship is required for
55 graduation from an accredited school or college of veterinary
56 medicine. The licensed veterinarian is responsible for all acts
57 performed by a preceptor under her or his supervision.
58 (4) Any doctor of veterinary medicine in the employ of a
59 state agency or the United States Government while actually
60 engaged in the performance of her or his official duties;
61 however, this exemption does not apply to such person when the
62 person is not engaged in carrying out her or his official duties
63 or is not working at the installations for which her or his
64 services were engaged.
65 (5)(a) Any person, or the person’s regular employee,
66 administering to the ills or injuries of her or his own animals,
67 including, but not limited to, castration, spaying, and
68 dehorning of herd animals, unless title is transferred or
69 employment provided for the purpose of circumventing this law.
70 This exemption does not apply to any person licensed as a
71 veterinarian in another state or foreign jurisdiction and
72 practicing temporarily in this state. However, only a
73 veterinarian may immunize or treat an animal for diseases that
74 are communicable to humans and that are of public health
75 significance.
76 (b) A person hired on a part-time or temporary basis, or as
77 an independent contractor, by an owner to assist with herd
78 management and animal husbandry tasks for herd and flock
79 animals, including castration, dehorning, parasite control, and
80 debeaking, or a person hired on a part-time or temporary basis,
81 or as an independent contractor, by an owner to provide farriery
82 and manual hand floating of teeth on equines. This exemption
83 does not apply to any person who has been convicted of a
84 violation of chapter 828 that relates to animal cruelty or a
85 similar offense in another jurisdiction.
86 (6) State agencies, accredited schools, institutions,
87 foundations, business corporations or associations, physicians
88 licensed to practice medicine and surgery in all its branches,
89 graduate doctors of veterinary medicine, or persons under the
90 direct supervision thereof, which or who conduct experiments and
91 scientific research on animals in the development of
92 pharmaceuticals, biologicals, serums, or methods of treatment,
93 or techniques for the diagnosis or treatment of human ailments,
94 or when engaged in the study and development of methods and
95 techniques directly or indirectly applicable to the problems of
96 the practice of veterinary medicine.
97 (7) Any veterinary aide, nurse, laboratory technician,
98 preceptor, or other employee of a licensed veterinarian who
99 administers medication or who renders auxiliary or supporting
100 assistance under the responsible supervision of a licensed
101 veterinarian, including those tasks identified by rule of the
102 board requiring immediate supervision. However, the licensed
103 veterinarian is responsible for all such acts performed under
104 this subsection by persons under her or his supervision.
105 (8) A veterinarian, licensed by and actively practicing
106 veterinary medicine in another state, who is board certified in
107 a specialty recognized by the board and who responds to a
108 request of a veterinarian licensed in this state to assist with
109 the treatment on a specific case of a specific animal or with
110 the treatment on a specific case of the animals of a single
111 owner, as long as the veterinarian licensed in this state
112 requests the other veterinarian’s presence. A veterinarian who
113 practices under this subsection is not eligible to apply for a
114 premises permit under s. 474.215.
115
116 For the purposes of chapters 465 and 893, persons exempt
117 pursuant to subsection (1), subsection (2), or subsection (4)
118 are deemed to be duly licensed practitioners authorized by the
119 laws of this state to prescribe drugs or medicinal supplies.
120 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.