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SB 796FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026dead
High Impact

The Veterinary Workforce Innovation Act (SB 796)

Original title: Veterinary Medicine

March 13, 2026

Companion · HB 805same policy, House version
veterinary medicinetelehealthprofessional licensinganimal welfarehealthcare access

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The Frame

What this does

The bill aims to increase consumer access to veterinary care by allowing trained associates to perform certain procedures and extending the duration of telehealth-based prescriptions, which currently expire after 14 to 30 days for most medications.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Veterinary professional associates

The bill creates this new professional category, establishes their registration requirements, and defines their scope of practice.

Licensed veterinarians

They are responsible for the supervision of veterinary professional associates and remain liable for acts performed under their supervision.

Pet owners

They may access veterinary services through new professional associates and utilize extended telehealth prescription windows.

What changed

Last recorded activity March 13, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Background

  • The bill died on the legislative calendar at the end of the 2026 session. context

Summary

This bill creates a new professional role called a 'veterinary professional associate' to assist licensed veterinarians and expands the time limits for prescriptions issued via telehealth. It establishes registration requirements for these new associates and defines the specific medical and surgical tasks they are permitted to perform under supervision.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a veterinary professional associate?
An individual who has graduated with a master’s degree or equivalent in veterinary clinical care from an accredited institution and is registered with the state.
Can a veterinary professional associate perform surgery?
Yes, they are authorized to perform specific procedures including neutering (), dental surgery, and suturing or stapling of skin lacerations, provided they are under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
How long are telehealth prescriptions valid under this bill?
Prescriptions for flea and tick control can be issued for up to 6 months, and other animal drugs for up to 30 days, based on a telehealth evaluation.

Why It Matters

The bill aims to increase consumer access to veterinary care by allowing trained associates to perform certain procedures and extending the duration of telehealth-based prescriptions, which currently expire after 14 to 30 days for most medications.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Voting Record

Motion succeededupper3/3/2026openstates_bulkOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable with Committee Substitute

Total

22

Yes

21

No

1

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededsenate2/4/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable

Total

11

Yes

11

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededsenate1/12/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable with Committee Substitute

Total

9

Yes

9

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

Connected Entities

organizationUnited States Food and Drug AdministrationMap →
otherVeterinary professional associateMap →
organizationBoard of Veterinary MedicineMap →
organizationFlorida Gaming Control CommissionMap →
organizationDepartment of Business and Professional RegulationMap →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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