animal control officers; mandatory training

SB1462 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
animal control officers; mandatory training

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1462

Introduced by

Senator
Kavanagh

AN
ACT

amending section 9-499.04, ARIZONA
REVISED STATUTES; AMENDING TITLE 11, CHAPTER 7, ARTICLE 6, ARIZONA REVISED
STATUTES, BY ADDING SECTION 11-1004; relating to animal control officers.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 9-499.04, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
9-499.04.

Animal control officers; appointment; authority; regulation of
dogs; mandatory training; powers and duties

A. Any city and town may by ordinance provide for
the appointment of animal control officers who may commence an action or
proceeding before a court for any violation of a state statute or local
ordinance relating to rabies and animal control that occurs within the
jurisdiction of the city or town.

B. An animal control officer appointed pursuant to
subsection A of this section shall:

1. Be unarmed during the course of duties except
that a small caliber firearm may be available to be used in controlling vicious
animals or in dispatching of a wounded animal. For the purposes of
this paragraph, "small caliber firearm" means a rifle or pistol
utilizing

that uses
a rimfire cartridge
with a caliber
not to exceed
of not more
than
twenty-two hundredths of an inch and with a
non-richocheting

nonricocheting
bullet or a shotgun whose bore size does
not exceed forty-one hundredths of an inch.

2. Be an employee of the appointing city or town.

C. A city or town may regulate the control of dogs
if the regulation is not specific to any breed.

D. Subsection B of this section does not grant other
powers or benefits to animal control officers to which peace officers of this
state are entitled.

e. an animal control officer who is
appointed on or after January 1, 2027 and who has the authority to commence an
action or proceeding before a court pursuant to subsection A of this section
shall attend and complete a training course within one year after appointment
or at the next available training course. an Animal control officer
who is appointed before January 1, 2027 and who has the authority to commence
an action or proceeding before a court pursuant to subsection A of this section
shall attend and complete a training course within eighteen months after the
effective date of this amendment to this section.� The training course must
include instruction that is identical to training courses that are currently
approved and offered by the Arizona peace officer standards and training
board.� The courses prescribed in paragraphs 1 through 3 of this subsection
shall be provided by instructors who are certified by the arizona peace officer
standards and training board.� The course prescribed in paragraph 4 of this
subsection shall be provided by a statewide animal humane
organization. Courses in animal cruelty investigations must include
courses that were approved and offered by the Arizona peace officer standards
and training board and that are now provided by instructors from a statewide
animal humane organization. The training course must include all of
the following:

1. Introduction to criminal law.

2. Laws relating to arrests.

3. Search and seizure laws.

4. Animal cruelty investigations.

END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Title 11, chapter 7, article 6, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 11-1004, to read:

START_STATUTE
11-1004.

Animal control officers; mandatory training

An animal control officer who is hired or
appointed on or after January 1, 2027 and who has the authority to commence an
action or proceeding pursuant to section 9-499.04, subsection A shall attend
and complete a training course within one year after appointment or at the next
available training course. an Animal control officer who is hired or
appointed before january 1, 2027 and who has the authority to commence an
action or proceeding pursuant to section 9-499.04, subsection A shall attend
and complete a training course within eighteen months after the effective date
of this section. The training course must include instruction that
is identical to training courses that are currently approved and offered by the
Arizona peace officer standards and training board. The courses
prescribed in paragraphs 1 through 3 of this subsection shall be provided by
instructors who are certified by the arizona peace officer standards and
training board.� The course prescribed in paragraph 4 of this subsection shall
be provided by a statewide animal humane organization. Courses in
animal cruelty investigations must include courses that were approved and
offered by the Arizona peace officer standards and training board and that are
now provided by instructors from a statewide animal humane organization.� The
training course must include all of the following:

1. Introduction to criminal law.

2. Laws relating to arrests.

3. Search and seizure laws.

4. Animal cruelty investigations.

END_STATUTE