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| 3 | 3 | | HB 485 2025 |
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| 7 | 7 | | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 8 | 8 | | hb485-00 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Page 1 of 2 |
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| 10 | 10 | | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 14 | 14 | | A bill to be entitled 1 |
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| 15 | 15 | | An act relating to invalid restrictive covenants with 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | physicians; amending s. 542.336, F.S.; providing that 3 |
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| 17 | 17 | | restrictive covenants which prohibit a physician from 4 |
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| 18 | 18 | | practicing medicine within a specified area for a 5 |
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| 19 | 19 | | certain period of time are void and unenforceable; 6 |
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| 20 | 20 | | providing an effective date. 7 |
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| 21 | 21 | | 8 |
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| 22 | 22 | | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 9 |
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| 23 | 23 | | 10 |
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| 24 | 24 | | Section 1. Section 542.336, Florida Statutes, is amended 11 |
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| 25 | 25 | | to read: 12 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 542.336 Invalid restrictive covenants. —A restrictive 13 |
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| 27 | 27 | | covenant entered into with a physician who is licensed under 14 |
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| 28 | 28 | | chapter 458 or chapter 459 which prohibits a physician from 15 |
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| 29 | 29 | | practicing medicine within a geographic area for any period of 16 |
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| 30 | 30 | | time after the termination of a contract, partnership, 17 |
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| 31 | 31 | | employment, or professional relationship and who practices a 18 |
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| 32 | 32 | | medical specialty in a county wherein one entity employs or 19 |
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| 33 | 33 | | contracts with, either directly or through related or affiliated 20 |
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| 34 | 34 | | entities, all physicians who practice such specialty in that 21 |
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| 35 | 35 | | county is not supported by a legitimate business interest. The 22 |
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| 36 | 36 | | Legislature finds that such covenants restrict patient access to 23 |
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| 37 | 37 | | physicians, increase costs, and are v oid and unenforceable under 24 |
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| 38 | 38 | | current law. Such restrictive covenants are shall remain void 25 |
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| 40 | 40 | | HB 485 2025 |
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| 43 | 43 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 45 | 45 | | hb485-00 |
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| 46 | 46 | | Page 2 of 2 |
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| 47 | 47 | | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 50 | 50 | | |
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| 51 | 51 | | and unenforceable for 3 years after the date on which a second 26 |
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| 52 | 52 | | entity that employs or contracts with, either directly or 27 |
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| 53 | 53 | | through related or affiliated entities, one o r more physicians 28 |
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| 54 | 54 | | who practice such specialty begins offering such specialty 29 |
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| 55 | 55 | | services in that county . 30 |
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| 56 | 56 | | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 31 |
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