Florida Senate - 2026                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for CS for SB 290
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì667770;Î667770                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
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       The Committee on Rules (Truenow) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 1039 - 1075
    4  and insert:
    5         570.846 Florida Food Animal and Equine Veterinary Medicine
    6  Loan Repayment Program.—
    7         (1) PURPOSE.—To encourage specialized and qualified
    8  veterinary professionals to practice in this state, to retain
    9  the employment of such professionals in this state, and to
   10  promote the care and treatment of food animals and equine
   11  animals, there is established the Florida Food Animal and Equine
   12  Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program. The purpose of the
   13  program is to authorize the department to make payments that
   14  offset loans incurred, for up to three new eligible candidates
   15  annually, for studies leading to a veterinary degree with a
   16  specialization in food animal or equine veterinary medicine.
   17         (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   18         (a) “Equine” means a species of animal belonging to the
   19  taxonomic family equidae, which includes horses and donkeys.
   20         (b) “Food animal” means a species of animal raised for the
   21  human food supply. Food animals include cattle, swine, sheep,
   22  goat, poultry, aquaculture, and apiary species.
   23         (c) “Food animal and equine veterinary medicine” means a
   24  veterinary medical practice that encompasses medical care,
   25  disease prevention, and consultation on the feeding, housing,
   26  and overall flock, herd, or equine health management.
   27         (d) “Food animal or equine veterinarian” means a
   28  veterinarian working in food and equine animal veterinary
   29  medicine who focuses on the management and health of such
   30  animals and who spends a minimum of 20 hours per week on food
   31  animal species or equine animal species care and treatment.
   32         (3) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for the program, a
   33  candidate must have graduated from an American Veterinary
   34  Medical Association-accredited college of veterinary medicine,
   35  have received a Florida veterinary medical license, have
   36  obtained a Category II Accreditation from the United States
   37  Department of Agriculture, and be a practicing food animal or
   38  equine animal veterinarian in this state.
   39         (4) FUNDING.—Subject to legislative appropriation, the
   40  department may make loan principal repayments of up to $25,000
   41  per eligible candidate per year. Loan principal repayments may
   42  be made on behalf of each eligible candidate each year for up to
   43  5 years. The department may select up to three new eligible
   44  candidates each year. All repayments are contingent upon
   45  continued proof of employment in this state as a practicing food
   46  animal or equine veterinarian.
   47  
   48  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   49  And the title is amended as follows:
   50         Delete line 124
   51  and insert:
   52         establishing the Florida Food Animal and Equine
   53         Veterinary