Veterinarian Licensure by Endorsement
HB 1509 revises Florida's requirements for veterinarians seeking licensure by endorsement from another state. To qualify, applicants must hold a valid, active license in good standing for three years in another U.S. state, district, or territory, pass an exam equivalent to or stricter than Florida's, and complete a clinical competency exam. The bill also adds a requirement to demonstrate knowledge of Florida's veterinary laws. This change affects veterinarians moving to Florida from other jurisdictions, effective July 1, 2026.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Jan 9, 2026
Signed May 12, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
H 1509 Filed
→
H 1509 er
·
1 edit
MINOR
The bill has been transitioned from its filed draft version to its enrolled, final version ready for signing into law. The changes are primarily technical formatting updates, such as adding the 'ENROLLED' status and updating the file identifier to reflect the final legislative record.
TECHNICAL
The document header was updated to change the status from 'Filed' to 'Enrolled' and the file reference from 'hb1509-00' to 'hb1509 -00-er', indicating the bill has completed its legislative process.
Floor votes · Senate Mar 10, 2026 · House Feb 11, 2026
How they voted
37–0
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 39
Mar 10, 2026
D
Democratic11
100% Yea
I
Independent1
0% Nay
R
Republican27
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
33
Key actions
11
Committee
11
May 12, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor
legislature
Mar 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed; YEAS 37 NAYS 0
upper
Feb 12, 2026
Committee
Referred to Rules
upper
Feb 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed; YEAS 113, NAYS 0
lower
Feb 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported out of Commerce Committee
lower
Feb 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable by Commerce Committee
lower
Jan 30, 2026
Lower · Passed
Added to Commerce Committee agenda
lower
Jan 28, 2026
Lower · Passed
Now in Commerce Committee
lower
Jan 28, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported out of Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
lower
Jan 28, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable by Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
lower
Jan 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Added to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee agenda
lower
Jan 15, 2026
Lower · Passed
Now in Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
lower
Jan 15, 2026
Committee
Referred to Commerce Committee
lower
Jan 15, 2026
Committee
Referred to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
lower
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Chad Johnson
RRepublican
Co
Lauren Melo
RRepublican
Co
Susan Plasencia
RRepublican
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