Florida HB 871: Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

Bill Text

HB 871 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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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 findings regarding the practice of 4
veterinary medicine; amending s. 474.202, F.S.; 5
providing definitions; amending s. 474.203, F.S.; 6
providing that specified exemptions apply to certain 7
veterinary technicians; amending s. 474.204, F.S.; 8
revising membership of the Board of Veterinary 9
Medicine; creating s. 474.2071, F.S.; providing 10
requirements for licensure of veterinary technicians; 11
amending 474.211, F.S.; providing continuing education 12
requirements for the renewal of veterinary 13
technicians' licenses; amending s. 474.213, F.S.; 14
prohibiting certain persons from taking specified 15
actions relating to the licensure of and the use of 16
the titles of licensed veterinary technicians; 17
providing criminal penalties; amending s. 474.214, 18
F.S.; providing grounds for disciplinary action 19
against applicants for licensure and licensed 20
veterinary technicians; authorizing the board to take 21
specified actions against certain persons; providing 22
for the reissuance of a license to a licensed 23
veterinary technician under certain circumstances; 24
creating s. 474.223, F.S.; providing scope of practice 25

HB 871 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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relating to licensed veterinary technicians; 26
authorizing licensed veterinary technicians to provide 27
specified services; authorizing supervising 28
veterinarians to delegate specified responsibilities 29
to licensed veterinary technicians; prohibiting 30
licensed veterinary technicians and veterinary 31
assistants from taking specified actions or 32
identifying themselves as specified persons; amending 33
s. 828.30, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made 34
by the act; providing an effective date. 35
36
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 37
38
Section 1. Section 474.201, Florida Statutes, is amended 39
to read: 40
474.201 Purpose.—The Legislature finds that the practice 41
of veterinary medicine is potentially dangerous to the public 42
health and safety if conducted by incompetent and unlicensed 43
veterinarians and veterinary technicians practitioners. The 44
legislative purpose in enacting this chapter is to ensure that 45
every veterinarian and licensed veterinary technician practicing 46
in this state meet minimum requirements for safe practice. It is 47
the legislative intent that veterinarians and licensed 48
veterinary technicians who are not normally competent or who 49
otherwise present a danger to the public shall be disciplined or 50

HB 871 2026

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prohibited from practicing in this state. 51
Section 2. Subsections (6) through (12), (13), and (14) of 52
section 474.202, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections 53
(7) through (13), (15), and (18), respectively, and new 54
subsections (6) and (14) and subsections (16) and (17) are added 55
to that section, to read: 56
474.202 Definitions.—As used in this chapter: 57
(6) "Veterinary technician" means a veterinary technician 58
who practices veterinary technology in the state and is licensed 59
under the authority of this chapter. 60
(14) "Veterinary assistant" means a person who practices 61
on a veterinary team providing medical care for animals. The 62
term does not include a licensed veterinary technician. 63
(16) "Veterinary technician" means a person who has 64
graduated with an associate degree from a veterinary technology 65
training program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical 66
Association Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and 67
Activities (CVTEA). 68
(17) "Veterinary technology" means the science and art of 69
providing certain aspects of the medical care and treatment of a 70
patient by a person who is a veterinary technician or veterinary 71
technologist, as delegated and supervised by a licensed 72
veterinarian with an established veterinarian/client/patient 73
relationship. The term does not include the diagnosis, 74
prognosis, prescription of medications, surgery, or development 75

HB 871 2026

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of treatment plans, which are within the purview of the 76
veterinarian. 77
Section 3. Subsection (3), paragraph (a) of subsection 78
(5), and subsection (7) of section 474.203, Florida Statutes, 79
are amended to read: 80
474.203 Exemptions.—This chapter does not apply to: 81
(3) A student in a school or coll