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House
File
490
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
490
BY
GJERDE
(COMPANION
TO
SF
296
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
JUDICIARY)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
allowing
police
service
dogs
to
receive
emergency
1
veterinary
medical
services
while
on
duty.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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1075YH
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da/ns
H.F.
490
Section
1.
Section
147A.8,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
3.
Provide
veterinary
medical
services
by
3
diagnosing
or
treating
a
severely
injured
police
service
dog
4
as
provided
in
section
169.4.
5
Sec.
2.
Section
169.4,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
the
6
following
new
subsection:
7
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
17.
a.
An
emergency
medical
care
provider
8
certified
pursuant
to
chapter
147A
who
elects
to
provide
9
veterinary
medical
services
by
diagnosing
or
treating
a
police
10
service
dog,
if
all
of
the
following
apply:
11
(1)
The
police
service
dog
was
on
duty
under
the
supervision
12
of
a
peace
officer
as
defined
in
section
801.4.
13
(2)
The
police
service
dog
suffered
a
severe
injury.
14
(3)
The
veterinary
medical
services
are
necessary
to
15
immediately
stabilize
the
police
service
dog’s
condition
for
16
later
diagnosis
or
treatment
by
a
licensed
veterinarian
or
the
17
holder
of
a
valid
temporary
permit.
18
b.
An
emergency
medical
care
provider
certified
pursuant
19
to
chapter
147A
may
elect
not
to
provide
veterinary
medical
20
services
under
paragraph
“a”
.
21
c.
If
an
emergency
medical
care
provider
certified
pursuant
22
to
chapter
147A
elects
to
provide
veterinary
medical
services
23
under
paragraph
“a”
,
the
emergency
medical
care
provider
shall
24
not
be
civilly
liable
for
diagnosing
or
treating
the
police
25
service
dog
if
the
emergency
medical
care
provider
acted
26
reasonably
and
in
good
faith.
27
d.
An
emergency
medical
care
provider
certified
pursuant
to
28
chapter
147A
electing
to
provide
veterinary
medical
services
29
under
paragraph
“a”
shall
comply
with
all
of
the
following:
30
(1)
The
emergency
medical
care
provider
may
diagnose
31
or
treat
a
severely
injured
police
service
dog
only
after
32
the
emergency
medical
care
provider
furnishes
all
diagnoses
33
or
treatment
needed
by
the
last
human
at
the
scene
of
the
34
emergency.
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(2)
The
emergency
medical
care
provider
shall
not
use
1
equipment,
or
shall
discontinue
the
use
of
equipment,
to
2
diagnose
or
treat
a
severely
injured
police
service
dog
at
the
3
scene
of
an
emergency,
if
any
of
the
following
apply:
4
(a)
The
equipment
is
needed
to
diagnose
or
treat
a
human
at
5
the
scene
of
the
emergency.
6
(b)
The
equipment
is
dispatched
to
another
location.
7
(3)
The
emergency
medical
care
provider
shall
not
diagnose
8
or
treat
a
severely
injured
police
service
dog,
or
shall
9
discontinue
diagnosing
or
treating
a
severely
injured
police
10
service
dog,
at
the
scene
of
an
emergency,
if
any
of
the
11
following
apply:
12
(a)
The
emergency
medical
care
provider
is
dispatched
to
13
another
location.
14
(b)
A
vehicle
used
to
transport
the
emergency
medical
care
15
provider
is
dispatched
to
another
location.
16
e.
A
severely
injured
police
service
dog
shall
not
be
17
transported
in
a
vehicle
that
provides
emergency
medical
or
18
ambulance
services.
19
EXPLANATION
20
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
21
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
22
BACKGROUND.
Current
law
provides
for
veterinary
medical
23
services
that
include
diagnosing
or
treating
an
animal’s
24
injury.
The
services
are
required
to
be
provided
by
a
25
veterinarian
holding
a
license
or
temporary
permit
issued
by
26
the
Iowa
board
of
veterinary
medicine
(Code
chapter
169).
27
Certain
exceptions
apply
which
allow
other
persons
to
provide
28
limited
services,
such
as
persons
performing
accepted
livestock
29
management
practices
(Code
section
169.4).
30
BILL’S
PROVISIONS
——
GENERAL
PROVISIONS.
This
bill
provides
31
an
exception
for
a
person
certified
by
the
Iowa
department
of
32
health
and
human
services
as
an
emergency
medical
care
provider
33
(care
provider)
(Code
chapter
147A)
when
furnishing
aid,
in
the
34
form
of
diagnosis
or
treatment,
to
a
police
service
dog
acting
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under
the
supervision
of
a
peace
officer
(e.g.,
county
sheriff
1
or
deputy,
police
officer
employed
by
a
city,
or
member
of
the
2
department
of
public
safety).
The
police
service
dog
must
be
3
injured
while
on
duty,
the
injury
must
be
severe,
and
the
aid
4
must
be
necessary
to
immediately
stabilize
the
police
service
5
dog’s
condition
for
later
diagnosis
or
treatment
by
a
licensed
6
veterinarian
or
temporary
permit
holder.
A
care
provider
who
7
acts
in
good
faith
to
provide
veterinary
medical
services
to
a
8
police
service
dog
is
not
civilly
liable.
9
BILL’S
PROVISIONS
——
CONDITIONS.
The
care
provider
in
10
furnishing
aid
to
the
police
service
dog
must
comply
with
a
11
number
of
conditions.
The
care
provider
must
first
furnish
12
aid
to
the
last
human
at
the
scene
of
the
emergency;
must
not
13
use
equipment,
or
discontinue
the
use
of
equipment,
to
furnish
14
aid
to
a
treat
a
police
service
dog
if
the
equipment
is
needed
15
to
furnish
aid
to
a
human
at
the
scene
of
the
emergency
or
16
the
equipment
is
dispatched
to
another
location;
and
must
17
not
render
aid
to
a
police
service
dog,
or
must
discontinue
18
rendering
aid,
at
the
scene
of
an
emergency,
if
the
care
19
provider
is
dispatched
to
another
location
or
the
vehicle
20
used
to
transport
the
care
provider
is
dispatched
to
another
21
location.
In
addition,
the
police
service
dog
cannot
be
22
transported
in
a
vehicle
that
provides
emergency
medical
or
23
ambulance
services.
24
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