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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; specifying certain education 9
requirements; prohibiting such associates from 10
prescribing certain drugs or controlled substanc es or 11
performing certain surgical procedures; providing 12
exceptions; providing that supervising veterinarians 13
are liable for the acts or omissions of veterinary 14
professional associates under their supervision; 15
providing an effective date. 16
17
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18
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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
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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 effici ency 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
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when immediate supervision is required as provided in paragraph 51
(6)(b). 52
(5) To ensure competency in clinical practice, all 53
candidates for the veterinary professional associate designation 54
must complete a minimum of 100 hours of in -person clinical 55
skills training, focusing on fundamental hands -on procedures, 56
patient handling, diagnostic tec hniques, and treatment protocols 57
under direct supervision. Additionally, candidates must complete 58
a minimum of 200 hours of clinical rotations in approved 59
veterinary settings. The rotations must provide practical 60
experience in real-world veterinary care en vironments, allowing 61
candidates to develop proficiency in case management, client 62
communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Compliance 63
with the requirements of this subsection shall be verified 64
through documented assessments conducted by licensed veterinary 65
professionals. 66
(6) A veterinary professional associate may not: 67
(a) Unless otherwise authorized by state or federal law, 68
prescribe medicinal drugs or drugs, as defined in s. 465.003, or 69
a controlled substance listed in chapter 893; or 70
(b) Perform surgical procedures that enter a body cavity, 71
except for veterinary sterilizations. Such surgical procedures 72
must be performed under immediate supervision, as defined in s. 73
474.202, of a licensed veterinarian. 74
(7) A licensed veterinarian who ass igns duties or actions 75
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to a veterinary professional associate is liable for any act or 76
omission of the veterinary professional associate acting under 77
the licensed veterinarian's supervision. 78
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 79