Florida Senate - 2021                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1370
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì963556DÎ963556                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/09/2021           .                                
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       The Committee on Regulated Industries (Rodriguez) recommended
       the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with directory and title amendments)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 31 - 35
    4  and insert:
    5  relationship may be established in person or by means of
    6  veterinary telemedicine if audio-visual technology is used to
    7  establish such relationship. A physical examination is not
    8  required for the veterinarian to assume responsibility for
    9  making medical judgments or providing treatment.
   10         (14) “Veterinary telemedicine” means the practice of
   11  veterinary medicine in a remote setting, including through the
   12  use of telephone or audio-visual technology or by other means
   13  consistent with the veterinarian’s professional judgment, as
   14  long as the veterinarian/client/patient relationship is
   15  established either in person or by audio-visual technology.
   16         Section 2. Section 474.2021, Florida Statutes, is created
   17  to read:
   18         474.2021 Veterinary telemedicine.—
   19         (1) A veterinarian may practice veterinary telemedicine.
   20         (2) A veterinarian may not prescribe controlled substances
   21  if the veterinarian/client/patient relationship has been
   22  established remotely under this section and the veterinarian has
   23  not previously performed a physical examination, unless the
   24  controlled substance is prescribed for the following:
   25         (a) Inpatient treatment at an animal clinic or hospital; or
   26         (b) The treatment of a patient receiving hospice services.
   27         (3) A veterinarian must hold a current license to practice
   28  veterinary medicine in this state in order to practice
   29  veterinary telemedicine.
   30         (4) The board has jurisdiction over a veterinarian
   31  practicing veterinary telemedicine in this state, regardless of
   32  where the veterinarian’s physical offices are located. The
   33  practice of veterinary telemedicine in accordance with this
   34  section is not a standard of care violation, and a veterinarian
   35  may not be disciplined solely for practicing veterinary
   36  telemedicine.
   37  
   38  ====== D I R E C T O R Y  C L A U S E  A M E N D M E N T ======
   39  And the directory clause is amended as follows:
   40         Delete line 25
   41  and insert:
   42  Statutes, is amended, and subsection (14) is added to that
   43  section, to read:
   44  
   45  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   46  And the title is amended as follows:
   47         Between lines 4 and 5
   48  insert:
   49         defining the term “veterinary telemedicine”; creating
   50         s. 474.2021, F.S.; authorizing veterinarians to
   51         practice veterinary telemedicine; prohibiting
   52         veterinarians from prescribing controlled substances;
   53         providing exceptions; providing licensure requirements
   54         to practice veterinary telemedicine; providing
   55         jurisdiction of the Florida Board of Veterinary
   56         Medicine; providing construction;