HB 769 2025
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hb769-00
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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 public records; amending s. 2
474.2185, F.S.; providing an exemption from public 3
records requirements for records relating to licensed 4
veterinary technicians until specified criteria are 5
met; providing a statement of public necessity; 6
providing a contingent effective date. 7
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 9
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Section 1. Section 474.2185, Florida Statutes, is amended 11
to read: 12
474.2185 Consent Veterinarians consent ; handwriting 13
samples; mental or physical examinations. —A veterinarian or 14
veterinary technician who accepts a license to practice 15
veterinary medicine or veterinary technology, as applicable, in 16
this state shall, by so accepting the license or by making and 17
filing a renewal of licensure to practice in this state, be 18
deemed to have given her or his consent, during a lawful 19
investigation of a complaint or of an application for licensure 20
and when the information has been deemed necessary and relevant 21
to the investigation as determined by the secretary of the 22
department, to the following: 23
(1) To render a handwriting sample to an agent of the 24
department and, further, to have waived any objections to its 25
HB 769 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
use as evidence against her or him. 26
(2) To waive the confidentiality and authorize the 27
preparation and release of medical reports pertaining to the 28
mental or physical condition of the licensee when the department 29
has reason to believe that a violation of this chapter has 30
occurred and when the department issues an order, based on the 31
need for additional information, to produce such medical reports 32
for the time period relevant to the complaint. As used in this 33
section, "medical reports" means a compilation o f medical 34
treatment of the licensee which shall include symptoms, 35
diagnosis, treatment prescribed, relevant history, and progress. 36
(3) To waive any objection to the admissibility of the 37
reports as constituting privileged communications. Such material 38
maintained by the department is confidential and exempt from s. 39
119.07(1) until probable cause is found and an administrative 40
complaint is issued. 41
Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public 42
necessity that that medical reports pertaining to the m ental or 43
physical condition of a licensed veterinary technician obtained 44
by the department as part of the complaint and investigation 45
process be made confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), 46
Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State 47
Constitution. The Legislature finds that the rights of a 48
licensed veterinary technician afforded under other state or 49
federal laws that deem certain personal information 50
HB 769 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
confidential, such as protected health information covered by 51
the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, should 52
be upheld and that the licensed veterinary technician's exempt 53
or confidential information should not be disclosed to the 54
public until probable cause is found and an administrative 55
complaint is issued. The licensed veterinar y technician's exempt 56
or confidential information, if publicly available, could be 57
used to invade his or her personal privacy. Making such 58
information confidential and exempt from disclosure will protect 59
information of a sensitive personal nature, the rele ase of which 60
could cause unwarranted damage to the privacy rights of the 61
licensed veterinary technician. The Legislature therefore finds 62
that it is a public necessity that such information be made 63
confidential and exempt until probable cause is found and a n 64
administrative complaint is issued. 65
Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date 66
that HB 767 or similar legislation takes effect , if such 67
legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an 68
extension thereof and becomes a law. 69