Florida SB 468: Suicide Prevention

Bill Text

468 
Animal Cruelty 
2025-11-12T10:46:11Z 
Providing that failure to report suspected animal cruelty is grounds for certain disciplinary actions; requiring that a veterinarian, veterinary technician, or other animal treatment provider employee who makes a good faith report of animal cruelty to certain officials be held harmless from certain liability, disciplinary action, and retaliation; providing penalties for certain veterinarians, veterinary technicians, or animal treatment provider employees or volunteers who knowingly alter or destroy a medical record for the purpose of concealing animal cruelty, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 468 

 By Senator Wright 

 8-00655-26 2026468__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to animal cruelty; amending s. 
 3 474.214, F.S.; providing that failure to report 
 4 suspected animal cruelty is grounds for certain 
 5 disciplinary actions; amending s. 474.2165, F.S.; 
 6 clarifying that the authorization to furnish medical 
 7 records related to veterinary medical services to 
 8 certain parties under certain circumstances includes, 
 9 but is not limited to, instances where a veterinarian 
 10 suspects animal cruelty; creating s. 828.124, F.S.; 
 11 defining terms; requiring certain individuals to 
 12 report incidents of animal cruelty to certain 
 13 officials; requiring that a veterinarian, veterinary 
 14 technician, or other animal treatment provider 
 15 employee who makes a good faith report of animal 
 16 cruelty to certain officials be held harmless from 
 17 certain liability, disciplinary action, and 
 18 retaliation; providing penalties for certain 
 19 veterinarians, veterinary technicians, or animal 
 20 treatment provider employees or volunteers who 
 21 knowingly alter or destroy a medical record for the 
 22 purpose of concealing animal cruelty; providing 
 23 construction; providing an effective date. 
 24 
 25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 26 
 27 Section 1. Paragraph (qq) is added to subsection (1) of 
 28 section 474.214, Florida Statutes, to read: 
 29 474.214 Disciplinary proceedings.— 
 30 (1) The following acts shall constitute grounds for which 
 31 the disciplinary actions in subsection (2) may be taken: 
 32 (qq) Failing to report suspected animal cruelty to the 
 33 proper authorities pursuant to s. 828.124. 
 34 Section 2. Paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of section 
 35 474.2165, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 
 36 474.2165 Ownership and control of veterinary medical 
 37 patient records; report or copies of records to be furnished.— 
 38 (4) Except as otherwise provided in this section, such 
 39 records may not be furnished to, and the medical condition of a 
 40 patient may not be discussed with, any person other than the 
 41 client or the client’s legal representative or other 
 42 veterinarians involved in the care or treatment of the patient, 
 43 except upon written authorization of the client. However, such 
 44 records may be furnished without written authorization under the 
 45 following circumstances: 
 46 (d) In any criminal action or situation where a 
 47 veterinarian suspects a criminal violation, including, but not 
 48 limited to, animal cruelty. If a criminal violation, including 
 49 but not limited to animal cruelty as defined in s. 828.124, is 
 50 suspected, a veterinarian may, without notice to or 
 51 authorization from the client, report the violation to a law 
 52 enforcement officer, an animal control officer who is certified 
 53 pursuant to s. 828.27(4)(a), or an agent appointed under s. 
 54 828.03. However, if a suspected violation occurs at a commercial 
 55 food-producing animal operation on land classified as 
 56 agricultural under s. 193.461, the veterinarian must provide 
 57 notice to the client or the client’s legal representative before 
 58 reporting the suspected violation to an officer or agent under 
 59 this paragraph. The report may not include written medical 
 60 records except upon the issuance of an order from a court of 
 61 competent jurisdiction. 
 62 Section 3. Section 828.124, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 63 read: 
 64 828.124 Reporting animal cruelty; medical records.— 
 65 (1) As used in this section, the term: 
 66 (a) “Animal cruelty” means any act or omission that 
 67 constitutes a violation of s. 828.12, s. 828.122, s. 828.126, or 
 68 s. 828.13. 
 69 (b) “Animal treatment provider” includes: 
 70 1. Any animal care facility, hospital, mobile service or 
 71 clinic, or shelter; 
 72 2. A private veterinary practice; 
 73 3. A college of veterinary medicine or veterinary 
 74 technology program; 
 75 4. A specialized veterinary hospital; or 
 76 5. Any place dogs or cats are seen for any kind of 
 77 treatment. 
 78 (c) “Good faith report” means a report of animal cruelty 
 79 which is made by a person without malice or consideration of 
 80 personal b