Florida Senate - 2025 SB 898
By Senator Rodriguez
40-00463-25 2025898__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the practice of veterinary
3 medicine; amending s. 474.201, F.S.; revising
4 legislative purpose and intent; amending s. 474.202,
5 F.S.; revising the definition of the term “responsible
6 supervision”; defining terms; creating s. 474.208,
7 F.S.; requiring the Board of Veterinary Medicine to
8 adopt rules to regulate the profession and practice of
9 veterinary technology; requiring any person desiring
10 licensure as a veterinary technician or technologist
11 to apply to the Department of Business and
12 Professional Regulation to take a licensure
13 examination; requiring the department to license each
14 applicant for whom the board has verified completion
15 of specified requirements; authorizing certain
16 veterinary technicians and veterinary technologists to
17 apply for licensure, beginning on a certain date;
18 requiring the department to license each applicant for
19 whom the board has verified completion of specified
20 requirements; authorizing a licensed veterinary
21 technician or licensed veterinary technologist to
22 perform specified veterinary technology services under
23 the responsible supervision of a licensed
24 veterinarian; authorizing a licensed veterinarian to
25 delegate certain professional responsibilities to a
26 licensed veterinary technician, licensed veterinary
27 technologist, or veterinary assistant under specified
28 circumstances; authorizing only a licensed
29 veterinarian to perform specified actions; amending s.
30 474.213, F.S.; prohibiting a person from misleading
31 the public that she or he is licensed as a veterinary
32 technician, or veterinary technologist without holding
33 such license; amending s. 828.30, F.S.; authorizing a
34 licensed veterinary technician or licensed veterinary
35 technologist, under responsible supervision, to
36 perform a rabies vaccination; reenacting s.
37 474.203(11), F.S., relating to exemptions, to
38 incorporate the amendment made to s. 474.202, F.S., in
39 a reference thereto; providing an effective date.
40
41 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
42
43 Section 1. Section 474.201, Florida Statutes, is amended to
44 read:
45 474.201 Purpose.—The Legislature finds that the practice of
46 veterinary medicine is potentially dangerous to the public
47 health and safety if conducted by incompetent and unlicensed
48 practitioners. The legislative purpose in enacting this chapter
49 is to ensure that every veterinarian, veterinary technician, and
50 veterinary technologist practicing in this state meets meet
51 minimum requirements for safe practice. It is the legislative
52 intent that veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and
53 veterinary technologists who are not normally competent or who
54 otherwise present a danger to the public must shall be
55 disciplined or prohibited from practicing in this state.
56 Section 2. Present subsections (13) and (14) of section
57 474.202, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (14)
58 and (18), respectively, a new subsection (13) and subsections
59 (15), (16), and (17) are added to that section, and subsection
60 (10) of that section is amended, to read:
61 474.202 Definitions.—As used in this chapter:
62 (10) “Responsible supervision” or wording words of similar
63 purport means mean the control, direction, and regulation by a
64 licensed doctor of veterinary medicine of the duties involving
65 veterinary services which she or he delegates to licensed and
66 unlicensed personnel.
67 (13) “Veterinary assistant” means an individual who is not
68 a veterinarian, veterinary technician, veterinary technologist,
69 or otherwise licensed to practice veterinary medicine, but who
70 assists such professionals in providing care for animals.
71 (15) “Veterinary technician” means a person who has
72 graduated with an associate in science degree from a veterinary
73 technology training program accredited by the American
74 Veterinary Medical Association Committee on Veterinary
75 Technician Education and Activities (AVMA CVTEA).
76 (16) “Veterinary technologist” means a person who has
77 graduated with a bachelor’s degree from a veterinary technology
78 training program accredited by AVMA CVTEA.
79 (17) “Veterinary technology” means the science and art of
80 providing professional support to licensed veterinarians.
81 Section 3. Section 474.208, Florida Statutes, is created to
82 read:
83 474.208 Veterinary technicians and veterinary
84 technologists.—
85 (1) The board shall adopt rules to regulate the profession
86 and practice of veterinary technology.
87 (2) Any person desiring to be licensed as a veterinary
88 technician or veterinary technologist in this state must apply
89 to the department to take a licensure examination. The
90 department shall license each applicant whom the board verifies
91 has done all of the following:
92 (a) Completed the application form.
93 (b) Graduated from a college program of veterinary
94 technology accredited by the American Veterinary Medical
95 Association Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and
96 Activities (AVMA CVTEA).
97 (c) Obtained a passing score on the Veterinary Technician
98 National Exam as determined by the American Association of
99 Veterinary State Boards.
100 (d) Demonstrated knowledge of the laws and rules governing
101 the practice of veterinary technology in this state in a manner
102 designated by rules of the board.
103 (3) Beginning July 1, 2025, all veterinary technicians and
104 veterinary technologists in good standing with the Florida
105 Veterinary Technician Association or the Florida Veterinary
106 Medical Association and who graduated from a college program of
107 veterinary technology accredited by the AVMA CVTEA before 2024
108 may apply for licensure. The department shall license each
109 veterinary technician or veterinary technologist whom the board
110 verifies has done all of the following:
111 (a) Completed the application for licensure.
112 (b) Graduated from a college program of veterinary
113 technology accredited by the AVMA CVTEA.
114 (c) Demonstrated knowledge of the laws and rules governing
115 the practice of veterinary technology in this state in a manner
116 designated by rules of the board.
117 (4) A licensed veterinary technician or licensed veterinary
118 technologist may perform all of the following veterinary
119 technology services under the responsible supervision of a
120 licensed veterinarian:
121 (a) Arterial and central venous catheterization.
122 (b) Euthanasia.
123 (c) Intraperitoneal injections.
124 (d) Placement of gastric, nasoesophageal, and nasogastric
125 tubes.
126 (e) Suturing or stapling of skin lacerations, gingival
127 incisions, or existing surgical incisions.
128 (f) Paravertebral blocks and epidurals.
129 (g) A complex single-root tooth extraction that requires
130 periosteal elevation but does not require sectioning of the
131 tooth or the bone.
132 (h) Blood or blood component collection, preparation, and
133 administration for transfusion or blood banking purposes.
134 (i) Ear flushing with powered mechanical devices creating
135 pressure or suction.
136 (j) A thoracocentesis or abdominocentesis.
137 (k) Application of casts, splints, and slings for the
138 immobilization of fractures.
139 (l) Placement of an epidural, intraosseous, or nasal
140 catheter.
141 (m) Administration of rabies vaccinations.
142 (n) Examination of a patient that has a previously
143 established veterinarian/client/patient relationship for routine
144 health care needs or follow-up treatment or to perform routine,
145 accepted animal husbandry tasks for livestock. This paragraph
146 does not apply to examinations required for the purpose of state
147 or federal health certificates.
148 (5) A licensed veterinarian may, in her or his judgment,
149 delegate certain professional responsibilities to a licensed
150 veterinary technician, licensed veterinary technologist, or
151 veterinary assistant so long as the services are performed under
152 the responsible supervision of the licensed veterinarian and the
153 licensed veterinary technician, licensed veterinary
154 technologist, or veterinary assistant is not otherwise
155 prohibited from performing such tasks by any other section.
156 (6) Only a licensed veterinarian may make a diagnosis,
157 perform surgery, or prescribe medicinal drugs as defined in s.
158 465.003 or a controlled substance as defined in s. 893.02.
159 Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 474.213, Florida
160 Statutes, is amended to read:
161 474.213 Prohibitions; penalties.—
162 (1) A person may not No person shall:
163 (a) Lead the public to believe that such person is licensed
164 as a veterinarian, veterinary technician, or veterinary
165 technologist, or is engaged in the licensed practice of
166 veterinary medicine, without such person holding a valid, active
167 license pursuant to this chapter;
168 (b) Use the name or title “veterinarian” when the person
169 has not been licensed pursuant to this chapter;
170 (c) Present as her or his own the license of another;
171 (d) Give false or forged evidence to the board or a member
172 thereof for the purpose of obtaining a license;
173 (e) Use or attempt to use a veterinarian’s license which
174 has been suspended or revoked;
175 (f) Knowingly employ unlicensed persons in the practice of
176 veterinary medicine;
177 (g) Knowingly conceal information relative to violations of
178 this chapter;
179 (h) Obtain or attempt to obtain a license to practice
180 veterinary medicine by fraudulent representation;
181 (i) Practice veterinary medicine in this state, unless the
182 person holds a valid, active license to practice veterinary
183 medicine pursuant to this chapter;
184 (j) Sell or offer to sell a diploma conferring a degree
185 from a veterinary school or college, or a license issued
186 pursuant to this chapter, or procure such diploma or license
187 with the intent that it shall be used as evidence of that which
188 the document stands for by a person other than the one upon whom
189 it was conferred or to whom it was granted; or
190 (k) Knowingly operate a veterinary establishment or
191 premises without having a premise permit issued under s.
192 474.215.
193 Section 5. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
194 828.30, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
195 828.30 Rabies vaccination of dogs, cats, and ferrets.—
196 (1)(a) All dogs, cats, and ferrets 4 months of age or older
197 must be vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian; a licensed
198 veterinary technician or licensed veterinary technologist under
199 the responsible supervision, as defined in s. 474.202, of a
200 licensed veterinarian; or a person authorized under paragraph
201 (b) against rabies with a vaccine that is licensed by the United
202 States Department of Agriculture for use in those species.
203 Section 6. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
204 made by this act to section 474.202, Florida Statutes, in a
205 reference thereto, subsection (11) of section 474.203, Florida
206 Statutes, is reenacted to read:
207 474.203 Exemptions.—This chapter does not apply to:
208 (11) A veterinarian who holds an active license to practice
209 veterinary medicine in another jurisdiction in the United States
210 and is in good standing in such jurisdiction and who performs
211 dog or cat sterilization services or routine preventative health
212 services at the time of sterilization as an unpaid volunteer
213 under the responsible supervision, as defined in s. 474.202, of
214 a veterinarian licensed in this state. The supervising licensed
215 veterinarian is responsible for all acts performed under this
216 subsection by an out-of-state veterinarian acting under her or
217 his responsible supervision. An out-of-state veterinarian
218 practicing pursuant to this subsection is not eligible to apply
219 for a premises permit under s. 474.215.
220
221 For the purposes of chapters 465 and 893, persons exempt
222 pursuant to subsection (1), subsection (2), or subsection (4)
223 are deemed to be duly licensed practitioners authorized by the
224 laws of this state to prescribe drugs or medicinal supplies.
225 Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.