For information on legislation that has been introduced to the Palm Beach Board of County Commissioners (BCC), click on the link below for the current agenda:
Palm Beach Board of Commissioners Agenda (note: the agenda is posted on line approximately 1 week before the scheduled meeting date)
To find your Palm Beach County Commissioner, click here
Below is a listing of current and previous legislative bills that have been introduced in the Florida Legislature
Click here to find your FL State Representative or here to find your FL State Senator
To learn about the process of how a bill becomes a law in Florida, click here.
For information on legislation that has been introduced in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, visit: www.avma.org/advocacy/national OR www.congress.gov
Click here to find your US Congressional Representative or here to find your US Senator
To learn about the process of how a bill becomes a federal law, click here.
Florida Bills to watch for the 2024 Legislative Session |
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Proposed bill |
Summary of Proposed Bill or Regulation |
Status |
|
HB 301 SB 22 |
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. |
Failed to pass
|
|
HB 63 SB 410 |
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. |
Failed to pass. |
|
HB 87 SB 632 |
Taking of Bears Authorizes taking of bears without permit or authorization; provides exemption from penalties; requires taking to be reported to FWCC; prohibits person from possessing, selling, or disposing of taken bears or their parts; requires FWCC to dispose of taken bears. |
Waiting to be signed into law by Governor |
|
HB 261 HB 263 SB 1100 SB 1162 |
Practice of Veterinary Medicine Provides for licensure of veterinary technicians; provides requirements for such veterinary technicians; revises membership of Board of Veterinary Medicine; provides criminal penalties for specified actions; provides scope of practice for licensed veterinary technicians. |
Failed to pass |
|
HB 849 SB 1040 |
Veterinary Practices Authorizes licensed veterinarians to practice veterinary telehealth in accordance with specified criteria; specifies powers of Board of Veterinary Medicine related to practice of telehealth; specifies drugs veterinarian practicing telehealth may provide; provides specific authorizations for cases where patient is food-producing species; authorizes specified people to vaccinate dogs, cats, & ferrets against rabies; provides supervising veterinarian assumes responsibility for specified people who provide vaccinations. |
Waiting to be signed into law by Governor |
|
HB 1245 SB 1038 |
Veterinary Professional Associates Citing this act as the “Veterinary Workforce Innovation Act”; authorizing certain individuals to use the title “veterinary professional associate”; authorizing such associates to perform certain duties and actions; providing that supervising veterinarians are liable for the acts or omissions of veterinary professional associates under their supervision and control, etc. |
Failed to pass |
|
HB 297 SB 272
|
Appointment of Courtroom Animal Advocates Authorizing a court to order that a separate advocate be appointed in the interests of justice for certain criminal proceedings regarding a cat or dog’s welfare or custody; providing that a judge’s decision denying an appointment of such an advocate is not subject to appeal; providing requirements for an individual to serve as an advocate, etc. |
Failed to pass |
|
HB 1033 SB 800 SB 1478 |
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. |
Failed to pass |
|
HB 273 SB 660 |
Animal Foster or Adoption Public Records 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. |
Waiting to be signed into law by Governor |
|
HB 303 SB 334 |
Rabies Vaccinations Authorizes certain persons to administer rabies vaccinations to certain animals under indirect supervision of veterinarian; defines “indirect supervision.” |
Waiting to be signed into law by Governor |
|
HB 1201 SB 368 |
Research Animals Requiring research facilities to offer certain dogs and cats for adoption to societies or associations for the prevention of cruelty to animals rather than euthanizing such dogs and cats; providing an exception; authorizing research facilities to enter into collaborative agreements with such societies and associations; providing immunity from liability for research facilities acting in good faith; requiring certain publicly funded institutions to make an annual report concerning animal testing activities, etc. |
Failed to pass |
|
HB 511 SB 494 |
Graduate Program Admissions Requiring an institution of higher education to waive certain examination requirements for a servicemember who applies for admission to a graduate program that requires such examination, etc. |
Waiting to be signed into law by Governor |
|
HB 497 SB 382 |
Continuing Education Requirements Requires, rather than authorizes, board, or DBPR when there is no board, to provide by rule that distance learning may be used to satisfy continuing education requirements; revises requirements that continuing education must satisfy; requires board, or DBPR when there is no board, to exempt certain individuals from completing their continuing education requirements; requires DBPR & each affected board to adopt rules. |
Waiting to be signed into law by Governor |
|
HB 701 SB 1426 |
Pet Rabbits Prohibits sale of rabbits in specified locations & during specified months; specifies unlawful acts relating to sales of rabbits; provides requirements for rabbits offered for sale at retail pet stores; requires retail pet stores to maintain & make available specified records; provides for retrieval, return, & placement of abandoned rabbits; authorizes compliance inspections; provides exceptions. |
Failed to pass |
|
HB 743 SB 700 |
Xylazine Provides for use of xylazine as an animal drug in certain circumstances. |
Failed to pass |
|
HB 873 SB 1156 |
Dangerous Dogs Requiring certain dog owners to securely confine their dogs in a proper enclosure; defining the term “department”; requiring, rather than authorizing, that dogs subject to certain dangerous dog investigations be confiscated, impounded, and held; requiring animal control authorities to provide certain information to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and to destroy certain dogs; requiring the department to create and maintain a statewide Dangerous Dog Registry, etc. |
Failed to pass |
| SB 1338 |
Pet Insurance Citing this act as the “Pet Insurance Act”; requiring pet insurers to use certain terms as defined in this act and include such definitions in their policies and on their website or on their program administrator’s website; specifying requirements for pet insurers that determine claim payments based on usual and customary fees; prohibiting pet insurers and insurance producers from marketing a wellness program as pet insurance; prohibiting insurance producers from selling, soliciting, or negotiating a pet insurance product unless the producer is licensed and has completed certain training, etc. |
Failed to pass |
