Fla. Stat. § 456.074 — Florida Code / Title XXXII / Chapter 456 / Section 456.074
456.074 Certain health care practitioners; immediate suspension of license.
Status: in_force

(1) The department shall issue an emergency order suspending the license of any health care practitioner who pleads guilty to, is convicted or found guilty of, or enters a plea of nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, any of the following: (a) A felony under chapter 409, chapter 817, or chapter 893 or under 21 U.S.C. ss. 801-970 or under 42 U.S.C. ss. 1395-1396. (b) A misdemeanor or felony under 18 U.S.C. s. 669, ss. 285-287, s. 371, s. 1001, s. 1035, s. 1341, s. 1343, s. 1347, s. 1349, or s. 1518 or 42 U.S.C. ss. 1320a-7b, relating to the Medicaid program. (c) A felony under s. 784.086, relating to a reproductive battery. (d) A felony under chapter 782, relating to homicide.

(2) If the board has previously found any physician or osteopathic physician in violation of the provisions of s. 458.331(1)(t) or s. 459.015(1)(x), in regard to her or his treatment of three or more patients, and the probable cause panel of the board finds probable cause of an additional violation of that section, then the State Surgeon General shall review the matter to determine if an emergency suspension or restriction order is warranted. Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to limit the authority of the State Surgeon General to issue an emergency order.

(3) The department may issue an emergency order suspending or restricting the license of any health care practitioner as defined in s. 456.001(4) who tests positive for any drug on any government or private sector preemployment or employer-ordered confirmed drug test, as defined in s. 112.0455, when the practitioner does not have a lawful prescription and legitimate medical reason for using such drug. The practitioner shall be given 48 hours from the time of notification to the practitioner of the confirmed test result to produce a lawful prescription for the drug before an emergency order is issued.

(4) The department shall issue an emergency order suspending the license of a massage therapist and establishment as those terms are defined in chapter 480 upon receipt of information that the massage therapist; the designated establishment manager as defined in chapter 480; an employee of the establishment; a person with an ownership interest in the establishment; or, for a corporation that has more than $250,000 of business assets in this state, the owner, officer, or individual directly involved in the management of the establishment has been arrested for committing or attempting, soliciting, or conspiring to commit, or convicted or found guilty of, or has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a violation of s. 796.07 or a felony offense under any of the following provisions of state law or a similar provision in another jurisdiction: (a) Section 787.01, relating to kidnapping. (b) Section 787.02, relating to false imprisonment. (c) Section 787.025, relating to luring or enticing a child. (d) Section 787.06, relating to human trafficking. (e) Section 787.07, relating to human smuggling. (f) Section 794.011, relating to sexual battery. (g) Section 794.08, relating to female genital mutilation. (h) Former s. 796.03, relating to procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution. (i) Former s. 796.035, relating to the selling or buying of minors into prostitution. (j) Section 796.04, relating to forcing, compelling, or coercing another to become a prostitute. (k) Section 796.05, relating to deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution. (l) Section 796.07(4)(a)3., relating to a felony of the third degree for a third or subsequent violation of s. 796.07, relating to prohibiting prostitution and related acts. (m) Section 800.04, relating to lewd or lascivious offenses committed upon or in the presence of persons less than 16 years of age. (n) Section 825.1025(2)(b), relating to lewd or lascivious offenses committed upon or in the presence of an elderly or disabled person. (o) Section 827.071, relating to sexual performance by a child. (p) Section 847.0133, relating to the protection of minors. (q) Section 847.0135, relating to computer pornography. (r) Section 847.0138, relating to the transmission of material harmful to minors to a minor by electronic device or equipment. (s) Section 847.0145, relating to the selling or buying of minors.

(5) The department shall issue an emergency order suspending the license of any health care practitioner who is arrested for committing or attempting, soliciting, or conspiring to commit any act that would constitute a violation of any of the following criminal offenses in this state or similar offenses in another jurisdiction: (a) Section 393.135(2), relating to sexual misconduct with an individual with a developmental disability. (b) Section 394.4593(2), relating to sexual misconduct with a patient who resides in a receiving or treatment facility or is otherwise in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. (c) Section 456.52(5)(b), relating to prescribing, administering, or performing sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures for a patient younger than 18 years of age. (d) Section 787.01, relating to kidnapping. (e) Section 787.02, relating to false imprisonment. (f) Section 787.025(2), relating to luring or enticing a child. (g) Section 787.06(3)(b), (d), (f), or (g), relating to human trafficking for commercial sexual activity. (h) Former s. 787.06(3)(h), relating to human trafficking of a child under the age of 15 for commercial sexual activity. (i) Section 787.07, relating to human smuggling. (j) Section 794.011, relating to sexual battery, excluding s. 794.011(10). (k) Section 794.05, relating to unlawful sexual activity with certain minors. (l) Section 794.08, relating to female genital mutilation. (m) Former s. 796.03, relating to procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution. (n) Former s. 796.035, relating to the selling or buying of minors into prostitution. (o) Section 796.04, relating to forcing, compelling, or coercing another to become a prostitute. (p) Section 796.05, relating to deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution. (q) Section 796.07(4)(a)3., relating to a felony of the third degree for a third or subsequent violation of s. 796.07, relating to prohibiting prostitution and related acts. (r) Section 800.04, relating to lewd or lascivious offenses committed upon or in the presence of persons younger than 16 years of age. (s) Section 810.145(8), relating to digital voyeurism of a minor. (t) Section 825.1025, relating to lewd or lascivious offenses committed upon or in the presence of an elderly person or disabled person. (u) Section 827.071, relating to sexual performance by a child. (v) Section 847.011, relating to prohibited acts in connection with obscene, lewd, and other materials. (w) Section 847.012, relating to materials harmful to minors. (x) Section 847.013, relating to exposing minors to harmful motion pictures, exhibitions, shows, presentations, or representations. (y) Section 847.0133, relating to the protection of minors from obscene materials. (z) Section 847.0135, relating to computer pornography, prohibited computer usage, or traveling to meet minors, excluding s. 847.0135(6). (aa) Section 847.0137, relating to the transmission of child pornography by electronic device or equipment. (bb) Section 847.0138, relating to the transmission of material harmful to minors to a minor by electronic device or equipment. (cc) Section 847.0145, relating to the selling or buying of minors. (dd) Section 856.022, relating to loitering or prowling in close proximity to children. (ee) Section 895.03, relating to racketeering activity, if the court makes a written finding that the racketeering activity involved at least one sexual offense listed in this subsection or at least one offense listed in this subsection which was committed with sexual intent or motive. (ff) Section 916.1075(2), relating to sexual misconduct against a forensic client of a civil or forensic facility for defendants who have a mental illness or an intellectual disability. (gg) Section 985.701(1), relating to sexual misconduct against a juvenile offender. (hh) Any similar offense committed in this state which has been redesignated from a former statute number to one of those listed in this subsection.

(6) The department must issue an emergency order suspending or restricting the registration of an office registered under s. 458.328 or s. 459.0138 upon a finding of probable cause that the office or a physician practicing in the office is not in compliance with the standards of practice for office surgery adopted by the boards pursuant to s. 458.328 or s. 459.0138, as applicable, or is in violation of s. 458.331(1)(v) or s. 459.015(1)(z), and that such noncompliance or violation constitutes an immediate danger to the public.

(7) The department shall issue an emergency order suspending the license of any licensee upon a finding of the State Surgeon General that probable cause exists to believe that the licensee has committed sexual misconduct as defined and prohibited in s. 456.063(1), or the applicable practice act, and that such violation constitutes an immediate danger to the public.

History: s. 88, ch. 97-261; s. 25, ch. 99-7; s. 87, ch. 99-397; s. 92, ch. 2000-160; s. 73, ch. 2001-277; s. 1, ch. 2002-254; s. 66, ch. 2008-6; s. 26, ch. 2009-223; s. 2, ch. 2014-139; s. 55, ch. 2015-2; s. 54, ch. 2016-10; s. 4, ch. 2016-24; s. 1, ch. 2019-130; s. 2, ch. 2020-31; s. 5, ch. 2020-125; s. 12, ch. 2020-133; s. 17, ch. 2020-160; s. 2, ch. 2021-190; s. 6, ch. 2023-90; s. 5, ch. 2024-132; s. 2, ch. 2024-148; s. 3, ch. 2024-181.