HB 729 2025
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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
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to veterinary professional associates; 2
providing a short title; creating s. 474.2126, F.S.; 3
providing legislative findings; defining terms; 4
authorizing certain individuals to use the title 5
"veterinary professional associate"; authorizing 6
veterinary professional associates to perform certain 7
duties only while under the responsible supervision of 8
a licensed veterinarian; prohibiting such associa tes 9
from prescribing certain drugs or controlled 10
substances or performing certain surgical procedures; 11
providing exceptions; providing that supervising 12
veterinarians are liable for the acts or omissions of 13
veterinary professional associates under their 14
supervision; providing an effective date. 15
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
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Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Veterinary 19
Workforce Innovation Act." 20
Section 2. Section 474.2126, Florida Statutes, is created 21
to read: 22
474.2126 Veterinary professional associate. — 23
(1) The Legislature finds that the practice of educated, 24
trained, and experienced veterinary professional associates will 25
HB 729 2025
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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
increase consumers' access to high -quality veterinary medical 26
services, at a reaso nable cost to consumers, while also 27
increasing the efficiency of the practice of veterinary medicine 28
in this state. 29
(2) As used in this section, the term: 30
(a) "Approved program" means a master's program in 31
veterinary clinical care, or the equivalent, f rom a school of 32
veterinary medicine in the United States or in its territories 33
or possessions. 34
(b) "Veterinary professional associate" means a person who 35
has earned a master's degree from an approved program and is 36
authorized to perform veterinary medica l services delegated by a 37
supervising veterinarian. 38
(3) The title "veterinary professional associate" may be 39
used only by an individual who has successfully completed an 40
approved program and passed a national competency examination. 41
(4) Unless otherwis e prohibited by federal or state law, a 42
veterinary professional associate may perform duties or actions, 43
including duties or actions in s. 474.202(9) and (13), in which 44
he or she possesses the competence, necessary training, current 45
knowledge, and experien ce to perform the assigned duties. The 46
veterinary professional associate may perform only the duties 47
assigned to him or her while under the responsible supervision, 48
as defined in s. 474.202, of a licensed veterinarian, except 49
when immediate supervision is required as provided in paragraph 50
HB 729 2025
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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
(5)(b). 51
(5) A veterinary professional associate may not do either 52
of the following: 53
(a) Unless otherwise authorized by state or federal law, 54
prescribe medicinal drugs or drugs as defined in s. 465.003(15) 55
or a controlled substance listed in chapter 893. 56
(b) Perform a surgical procedure, except for veterinary 57
sterilizations or surgical procedures that do not enter a body 58
cavity. Surgical procedures must be performed under immediate 59
supervision, as defined in s. 474.202 , of a licensed 60
veterinarian. 61
(6) A licensed veterinarian who assigns duties or actions 62
to a veterinary professional associate is liable for any act or 63
omission of the veterinary professional associate acting under 64
the licensed veterinarian's supervision. 65
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 66