Relates to veterinary care for retired law enforcement and retired fire investigation dogs

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7779

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                                  I N  A S S E M B L Y

                                     April 10, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  STERN,  GANDOLFO,  BRONSON,  BURDICK, CLARK,
          EPSTEIN, HEVESI, JACOBSON, JONES, KELLES, LEVENBERG,  LUNSFORD,  McMA-
          HON,  PAULIN,  RAMOS,  RIVERA, ROSENTHAL, SANTABARBARA, SIMON, STIRPE,
          WOERNER, ZINERMAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes

        AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to providing for the care
          of retired law enforcement dogs

          THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 844 to
     2  read as follows:
     3    § 844. CARE FOR RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT DOGS.  1. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE
     4  PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING
     5  MEANINGS:
     6    (A) "RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT DOG" SHALL MEAN A DOG THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY
     7  IN THE SERVICE OF OR UTILIZED BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR  A  CORREC-
     8  TIONAL  AGENCY  IN THIS STATE FOR THE PRINCIPAL PURPOSE OF AIDING IN THE
     9  DETECTION OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS, OR APPREHENSION  OF
    10  OFFENDERS  AND  THAT RECEIVED CERTIFICATION ISSUED BY THE DIVISION OR BY
    11  THE DIVISION OF STATE POLICE ATTESTING TO THE SATISFACTORY COMPLETION OF
    12  A POLICE CANINE TRAINING PROGRAM.
    13    (B) "LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY" SHALL MEAN ANY AGENCY  OR  DEPARTMENT  OF
    14  ANY  MUNICIPALITY,  ANY  POLICE  DISTRICT,  OR  ANY  AGENCY, DEPARTMENT,
    15  COMMISSION, AUTHORITY OR PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION OF THE STATE EMPLOY-
    16  ING A POLICE OFFICER OR POLICE OFFICERS  AS  THAT  TERM  IS  DEFINED  IN
    17  SUBDIVISION THIRTY-FOUR OF SECTION 1.20 OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW.
    18    (C)  "CORRECTIONAL AGENCY" SHALL MEAN ANY PLACE OPERATED BY THE STATE,
    19  COUNTY OR CITY OF NEW YORK HAVING PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE  SUPER-
    20  VISION,  PROTECTION,  CARE, CUSTODY, CONTROL, OR INVESTIGATION OF INCAR-
    21  CERATED INDIVIDUALS OF THE STATE EMPLOYING POLICE OFFICERS AS DEFINED IN
    22  PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION THIRTY-FOUR OF SECTION 1.20 OF THE CRIMINAL

         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05766-01-5
        A. 7779                             2

     1  PROCEDURE LAW OR PEACE OFFICERS AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED  IN  SUBDIVISION
     2  TWENTY-FIVE OF SECTION 2.10 OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW.
     3    (D)  "VETERINARY  CARE" SHALL MEAN THE PRACTICE, BY A VETERINARIAN, OF
     4  VETERINARY MEDICINE AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE OF THE
     5  EDUCATION LAW. THE TERM SHALL ALSO INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO  ANNUAL
     6  WELLNESS  EXAMINATIONS,  VACCINATIONS,  INTERNAL  AND  EXTERNAL PARASITE
     7  PREVENTION TREATMENTS, TESTING AND TREATMENT OF ILLNESSES AND  DISEASES,
     8  MEDICATIONS,  EMERGENCY CARE AND SURGERIES, PHYSICAL THERAPY, VETERINARY
     9  ONCOLOGY OR OTHER SPECIALTY CARE, EUTHANASIA, AND CREMATION.
    10    2. THE DIVISION SHALL ESTABLISH A PROGRAM FOR THE CARE OF RETIRED  LAW
    11  ENFORCEMENT  DOGS AND SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO EFFECTU-
    12  ATE SUCH PROGRAM.
    13    3. THE PROGRAM SHALL COVER THE COST OF VETERINARY CARE FOR RETIRED LAW
    14  ENFORCEMENT DOGS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE LIFETIME OF SUCH DOGS.
    15    4. IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM, THE HANDLER OR ADOPTER  OF
    16  THE  RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT DOG SHALL PROVIDE PROOF THAT THE DOG WAS IN
    17  SERVICE AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT DOG FOR AT LEAST:
    18    (A) FIVE YEARS; OR
    19    (B) WAS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE DUE TO AN INJURY TO THE DOG; OR
    20    (C) WAS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE DUE TO  THE  DOG  BEING  TRAINED  IN  THC
    21  DETECTION.
    22    5.  A  HANDLER  OR ADOPTER OF AN ELIGIBLE LAW ENFORCEMENT DOG SHALL BE
    23  ENTITLED  TO  BE  REIMBURSED  FOR  THE  COST  OF  VETERINARY  CARE  UPON
    24  SUBMISSION OF A VALID INVOICE FROM A VETERINARIAN.
    25    §  2.  The program established by section 844 of the executive law, as
    26  added by section one of this act shall be subject to an appropriation to
    27  the division of criminal justice services out of any moneys in the state
    28  treasury in the general fund.
    29    § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
    30  the date on which it shall have become a law.