Legislation Updates

Florida Bills to watch for the 2023 Legislative Session

Proposed bill

Summary of Proposed Bill or Regulation

Status

HB 1061

SB 60

Animal Cremation

Designating “Sevilla’s Law”; requiring a provider of companion animal cremation services to provide certain individuals and entities with a written description of the services the provider offers; requiring certain persons or entities that make referrals to providers or accept deceased companion animals for cremation through a provider to make a copy of the provider’s written description of services available to owners or their representatives; requiring certain providers to include a certification with the returned animal’s cremation remains; requiring that certain fines collected by the department be paid into the General Inspection Trust Fund, etc.

H: First Reading 3/7/23

S: Introduced 3/7/23

HB 157

SB 518

Animal Foster or Adoption

Provides exemption from public records requirements for records containing information pertaining to persons with legal custody of animal from animal shelter or animal control agency operated by local government; provides for future legislative review & repeal of exemption.

H: First Reading 3/7/23

S: In Rules Cmte 3/29/23

HB 381

SB 932

Cosmetic Animal Testing

Prohibits manufacturer from manufacturing, importing for profit, selling, or offering for sale cosmetics developed or manufactured using cosmetic animal testing conducted or contracted by certain persons or from conducting or contracting for cosmetic animal testing; provides labeling requirements for specified cosmetics.

Animal Welfare

Prohibiting a person from taking specified actions relating to the transportation of dogs on public roadways; citing a provision as the “Humane Cosmetics Act”; prohibiting a manufacturer from manufacturing, importing for profit, selling, or offering for sale in this state a cosmetic developed or manufactured using cosmetic animal testing conducted or contracted by certain persons or from conducting or contracting for cosmetic animal testing; prohibiting a person from performing a declawing on a cat within this state; requiring the Department of Law Enforcement to post on its website by a specified date a publicly accessible registry of persons convicted of animal abuse offenses; providing penalties for specified violations, etc.

H: First Reading 3/7/23

S: Introduced 3/7/23

HB 1117

SB 554

Medial Treatment of Animals

Citing this act as the “Veterinary Telemedicine Act”; redefining the term “patient”; authorizing licensed veterinarians to practice veterinary telemedicine; authorizing a veterinarian practicing telemedicine to order, prescribe, or make available specified medicinal drugs and controlled substances; providing requirements for use of veterinary telemedicine in veterinarian referrals; providing that a supervising veterinarian assumes responsibility for any person working under the veterinarian’s supervision or at his or her direction, etc.

H: Added to Special Order Calendar 4/10/23

S: Introduced 3/7/23

HB 719

SB 722

Practice of Veterinary Medicine

Exempts certain out-of-state veterinarians who provide specified services under responsible supervision of veterinarian licensed in this state from certain regulations governing veterinary medical practice; provides supervising licensed veterinarian is responsible for such services; specifies that such out-of-state veterinarians are ineligible for premises permit.

H: Passed 3/24/23 (106 Yes, 0 No)

S: Added to Special Order Calendar 4/10/23

HB 849

SB 800

Retail Sale of Domestic Dogs and Cats

 Defining terms; prohibiting pet stores from selling or offering for sale domestic dogs and cats; providing civil penalties, etc.

H: First Reading 3/7/23

S: Introduced 3/7/23

HB 587

SB 380

Protection from Surgical Smoke

Defining the terms “smoke evacuation system” and “surgical smoke”; requiring hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to, by a specified date, adopt and implement policies requiring the use of smoke evacuation systems during certain surgical procedures, etc.

H: First Reading 3/7/23

S: In Rules Cmte 3/16/23

HB 941

SB 942

Authorization of Restriction Concerning Dogs

Authorizes public housing authorities to adopt certain policies relating to dogs; restricts types of ordinances & policies that may be adopted; removes exemption for local breed-specific ordinances adopted before specified date.

H: Added to Second Reading Calendar 3/31/23

S: Passed 39 Yes 1 No

HB 959

SB 1056

Dosage Form Animal Health Products

Requires manufacturers & distributors of dosage form animal health products to register with DACS; provides requirements for registration; provides conditions under which products are considered misbranded or adulterated, respectively.

H: In Commerce Cmte (4/12/23)

S: In Appropriations Cmte (4/13/23)

HB 989

SB 1006

Appointment of Courtroom Animal Advocates

Authorizes court to order separate advocate be appointed in interests of justice for certain civil & criminal proceedings regarding animal’s welfare; provides judge’s decision denying appointment is not subject to appeal; provides requirements for individual to serve as advocate.

H: In Judicary Cmte 3/29/23

S: Introduced 3/7/23

SB 230

HB 583

Health Care Practitioners Titles & Designations

Providing that, for specified purposes, the use of specified titles or designations in connection with one’s name constitutes the practice of medicine or the practice of osteopathic medicine; revising grounds for disciplinary action relating to a practitioner’s use of such titles or designations in identifying himself or herself to patients or in advertisements for health care services; requiring certain health care practitioners to prominently display a copy of their license in a conspicuous area of their practices, etc.

H: 1st Reading 4/5/23

S: Passed 37 Yes 0 No

HB 267

SB 298In

Telehealth Practice Standards

Revises definition of term “telehealth.”

H: In HHS Cmte 4/12/23

S: In Rules Cmte 3/16/23