The Florida Legislature is considering two bills that would restrict the use of noncompete agreements for physicians in the state, law firm Holland & Knight wrote on JDSupra on Feb. 12.
Current law allows physician noncompetes unless they restrict a particular specialty in a county where all the physicians in that specialty are employed by a single entity. Additionally, they are permitted if they are justified by a legitimate interest and reasonable in time, area and line of business.
The bill in the Florida House — House Bill 11 — would make all physician noncompetes unenforceable. The bill in the Florida Senate — Senate Bill 458 — would make all physician noncompetes entered on or after July 1, 2024, unenforceable unless the noncompete is related to research, the physician is paid at least $250,000 annually or the noncompete is related to the the sale of the physician's business.
If either bill passes in the current legislative session, scheduled to end March 8, their tentative effective date would be July 1.
According to the article, House Bill 11 does not appear to have much traction. Senate Bill 458, meanwhile, is in a rules committee following unanimous approvals by the health policy and commerce and tourism committees.