2020 FVMA Legislative Wrap Up

By Richard B. Williams, DVM | FVMA Legislative Chair

At the end of the 2020 Florida legislative session, the number of bills that passed both chambers was near a multi-decade low. By all reports, this is a byproduct of an intentional effort to reduce the volume of legislation that passes the Legislature.

This year, the FVMA actively monitored almost 40 bills with two taking priority. 1. The FVMA’s priority bill SB 366 / HB 1015 was meant to address deficiencies in the Practice Act concerning the definition of the VCPR. It was introduced in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. 2. SB 1044 / HB 621 (Allie’s Law) was an animal cruelty bill.

Both bills failed to pass during the legislative session.

The FVMA’s priority bill has been brought before the state legislature over the last several years. The intention of the bill is to introduce language into the Practice Act, which would strengthen the definition of the VCPR and establish a definition of the physical examination. Over the years, House leadership has repeatedly refused to allow the bill to move forward. Prevailing feedback to the FVMA is that House leaders believe the FVMA bill could be restrictive to unregulated telemedicine, which they are in favor of.

Allie's Law, SB 1044 / HB 621, was strongly opposed by the FVMA as originally written. The bill is an anti-animal cruelty bill involving only dogs and cats. It was presented to us as a simple bill that every veterinarian in the state should support and had many co-sponsors in both the House and Senate. Unfortunately, Allie’s Law was not as simple as it seems. We found it to be a bill that required mandatory reporting of animal cruelty, without reporter protection for the veterinarian. It also required reporting without direct knowledge of the actual abuse, or that the veterinarian contact the individuals suspected of abuse and require them to have their pet be examined within 24 hours. The FVMA felt such a scenario could potentially place veterinarians and their staff in a dangerous situation. That was not something we could support for the veterinarians of Florida.

The FVMA also paid close attention to SB 48, the "Declaw Bill," which was introduced in the Senate without a companion bill in the House. SB 48 did not advance beyond its introduction. The FVMA’s position on declawing is identical to the AVMA’s revised policy. While the declawing of cats should be discouraged as an elective procedure, the AVMA and FVMA “acknowledge the veterinarian’s right to use professional judgement when deciding how to best protect their individual patients’ health and welfare.”

The 2020 Florida Legislative Session concluded with 210 bills passed. Florida’s 2021 Legislative Session commences on March 2, 2021, and will remain in session for 60 days.

As the legislative session commenced, the FVMA hosted a 40 member delegation of veterinarians, students of UFCVM, and FVMA leadership in Tallahassee for Legislative Action Days. This annual event is an integral aspect of the FVMA’s advocacy program as it places the association face-to-face with state senators and representatives. This gives the FVMA a chance to discuss the association’s legislative priorities and to advocate on behalf of the veterinary profession, animal health and well-being, and public health.

We thank all members who joined us in Tallahassee at this year’s Legislative Action Days. If you’d like to learn how you can become involved next year, visit the FVMA website or email info@fvma.org.

During our 2020 Legislative Action days, FVMA delegates met with key legislators, including Representative Wengay "Newt" Newton (D -District 70) of St. Petersburg, Florida. Pictured left to right: Drs. Rachel Klemawesch, Don Howell, Don

Morgan; Rep. Newton; Drs. Brooke Certa and Daniel Jones.

Wrap-up

The number of bills passing both chambers was near a multidecade low, which is, in part, a byproduct of an intentional effort to reduce the volume of legislation passing the Legislature.

Key Veterinary Bills That Passed

SB 664 - Verification of Employment Eligibility

• The bill provides that, beginning January 1, 2021, public employers, contractors and subcontractors must register with and use the E-Verify system to verify the work authorization status of all newly hired employees. • A public employer, contractor or subcontractor may not enter into a contract unless each party registers with and uses the

E-Verify system. • The bill provides that, beginning January 1, 2021, a private employer must verify the employment eligibility of a person who has accepted an offer of employment or a contract employee upon the renewal or extension of his or her contract by either using the E-Verify system or requiring the person to provide the same documentation required by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services on its Employment Eligibility Verification form (Form I-9).

HB 705 - Emergency Sheltering of Persons with Pets

• The bill requires counties that maintain designated shelters to designate a shelter that can accommodate persons with pets. • The shelter must comply with applicable FEMA Disaster

Assistance Policies and procedures and with safety procedures regarding the sheltering of pets established in the shelter component of both local and state comprehensive emergency management plans.

SB 1084 - Emotional Support Animals

• SB 1084 prohibits a landlord, to the extent required by federal law, rule or regulation, from denying housing to a person with

• Passed: Emergency Sheltering of Persons with Pets • Passed: Emotional Support Animals in Homes • Passed: Open Government Sunset Review – Animal Medical

Records • Failed: Declawing of Cats • Failed: Animal Cruelty Reporting (Allie’s Law) • Failed: Courtroom Animal Advocates

a disability or a disability-related need who has an animal that is required as support. It defines an emotional support animal as an animal that is not required to be trained to assist a person with a disability but, by virtue of its presence, provides support to alleviate one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. The bill prohibits a landlord from charging a person with an emotional support animal additional fees.

HB 7075 - Open Government Sunset Review - Animal Medical Records

• Current law provides a public record exemption for certain animal medical records held by a state college of veterinary medicine that is accredited by the American Veterinary

Medical Association Council on Education. • The bill saves from repeal the public record exemption, which will repeal on October 2, 2020, if this bill does not become law.

Key Veterinary Bills That Failed

SB 48 - Declawing of Cats

• Prohibits the declawing of a cat unless there is a therapeutic purpose for the declawing.

HB 621 / SB 1044 - Animal Cruelty (Allie's Law)

• Requires veterinary technicians and employees or volunteers of an animal treatment provider who know or suspect cruelty to a dog or cat to report such knowledge or suspicions to a veterinarian. • A veterinarian who receives such a report must attempt an initial examination of the animal and then subsequently report animal cruelty to local law enforcement or an animal control agency.

SB 1048 - Courtroom Animal Advocates

• Provides for the appointment of an advocate, at the discretion of the court, for the interests of an animal under certain circumstances.

Pictured left to right: Dr. Marc Presnell, Dr. Mary Smart, Dr. Michael Epperson, Mr. Philip Hinkle and Dr. Richard Williams.