Florida Senate - 2025                                     SB 652
       
       
        
       By Senator Bradley
       
       
       
       
       
       6-00499A-25                                            2025652__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to veterinary professional associates;
    3         providing a short title; creating s. 474.2126, F.S.;
    4         providing legislative findings; defining terms;
    5         authorizing certain individuals to use the title
    6         “veterinary professional associate”; authorizing
    7         veterinary professional associates to perform certain
    8         duties only while under the responsible supervision of
    9         a licensed veterinarian; prohibiting such associates
   10         from prescribing certain drugs or controlled
   11         substances or performing certain surgical procedures;
   12         providing exceptions; providing that supervising
   13         veterinarians are liable for the acts or omissions of
   14         veterinary professional associates under their
   15         supervision; providing an effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Veterinary
   20  Workforce Innovation Act.”
   21         Section 2. Section 474.2126, Florida Statutes, is created
   22  to read:
   23         474.2126 Veterinary professional associate.—
   24         (1) The Legislature finds that the practice of educated,
   25  trained, and experienced veterinary professional associates will
   26  increase consumers’ access to high-quality veterinary medical
   27  services, at a reasonable cost to consumers, while also
   28  increasing the efficiency of the practice of veterinary medicine
   29  in this state.
   30         (2) As used in this section, the term:
   31         (a) “Approved program” means a master’s program in
   32  veterinary clinical care, or the equivalent, from a school of
   33  veterinary medicine in the United States or in its territories
   34  or possessions.
   35         (b) “Veterinary professional associate” means a person who
   36  has earned a master’s degree from an approved program and is
   37  authorized to perform veterinary medical services delegated by a
   38  supervising veterinarian.
   39         (3) The title “veterinary professional associate” may be
   40  used only by an individual who has successfully completed an
   41  approved program and passed a national competency examination.
   42         (4) Unless otherwise prohibited by federal or state law, a
   43  veterinary professional associate may perform duties or actions,
   44  including duties or actions in s. 474.202(9) and (13), in which
   45  he or she possesses the competence, necessary training, current
   46  knowledge, and experience to perform the assigned duties. The
   47  veterinary professional associate may perform only the duties
   48  assigned to him or her while under the responsible supervision,
   49  as defined in s. 474.202, of a licensed veterinarian, except
   50  when immediate supervision is required as provided in paragraph
   51  (5)(b).
   52         (5) A veterinary professional associate may not do either
   53  of the following:
   54         (a) Unless otherwise authorized by state or federal law,
   55  prescribe medicinal drugs or drugs as defined in s. 465.003(15)
   56  or a controlled substance listed in chapter 893.
   57         (b) Perform a surgical procedure, except for veterinary
   58  sterilizations or surgical procedures that do not enter a body
   59  cavity. Surgical procedures must be performed under immediate
   60  supervision, as defined in s. 474.202, of a licensed
   61  veterinarian.
   62         (6) A licensed veterinarian who assigns duties or actions
   63  to a veterinary professional associate is liable for any act or
   64  omission of the veterinary professional associate acting under
   65  the licensed veterinarian’s supervision.
   66         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.