A press release from Governor DeSantis about the response to Hurricane Ian includes the following about licensing:
· Temporary Veterinarian License Application: The Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine has a 30-Day Temporary Veterinarian License available to out-of-state veterinarians who do not currently hold a Florida Veterinary License but wish to come to Florida to provide relief veterinary services.
· DBPR EMERGENCY ORDER 2022-02 waives the $200 application fee for the issuance of a temporary license to out-of-state veterinarians, effective with the date corresponding with the effective date of Executive Order 22-218, as amended by Executive Order 22-219....
· DBPR Emergency Order 2022-01 extends the renewal deadline from September 30 or October 1, 2022, to October 31, 2022, for the following licenses:
· Real Estate: Sales Associates, Broker Sales Associates, Brokers, Corporate Brokers, Partnerships, and Corporations and Branch Offices;
· Alcoholic Beverages: Retail Vendors, Distributors, Manufacturers, Importers, Brokers, Sales Agents, and Passenger Common Carriers;
· Drugs, Devices, and Cosmetics: Prescription Drug Wholesalers, Prescription Drug Wholesaler – Broker Only, Out-of-State Prescription Drug Wholesalers, and All Other DDC Licenses;
· Hotels and Restaurants: Public Lodging Establishments, Vacation Rentals, Timeshare Projects, and Public Food Service Establishments; and
· Community Association Managers.
Here's an idea: What if Florida decided to let out-of-state veterinarians practice in the state without paying $200 for a license even in ordinary, non-post-hurricane, non-emergency circumstances? And what if these licenses were good for ten years, rather than 24 months (or 25 months, in the case of a hurricane) or in some cases eliminated entirely. The state of Florida list of professions requiring a license is somewhat staggering ("athlete agents?"). Why wait until the aftermath of a hurricane to deregulate this sort of thing in a way that is more friendly to economic freedom? Why not make these changes permanent rather than temporary? The answer probably has something to do with the fact that there are a whole set of bureaucrats that exist to collect these fees and dispense the licenses, and politically connected firms that supply the licensing tests. It's probably not out of any real concern that any animal is going to be endangered by an out-of-state veterinarian, not out of any real worry any community association resident is going to be endangered by a community association manager who took the licensing exam three years ago rather than two years ago. Let the winds of the hurricane blow away the red tape.
