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