Bill Text: IA SF539 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act allowing emergency medical care providers to diagnose and treat severe injuries suffered by police service dogs while on duty.(Formerly SF 299.)
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-01-11 - Subcommittee: Reichman, Knox, and Rowley. S.J. 97. [SF539 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2023-SF539-Introduced.html
Senate
File
539
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
539
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
JUDICIARY
(SUCCESSOR
TO
SF
299)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
allowing
emergency
medical
care
providers
to
diagnose
1
and
treat
severe
injuries
suffered
by
police
service
dogs
2
while
on
duty.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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Section
1.
Section
147A.8,
Code
2023,
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
2023,
is
amended
by
adding
the
6
following
new
subsection:
7
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
16.
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”
,
all
of
the
following
apply:
24
(1)
The
emergency
medical
care
provider
shall
diagnose
or
25
treat
the
police
service
dog
only
after
diagnosing
or
treating
26
any
injured
human
at
the
scene
of
the
emergency.
27
(2)
The
emergency
medical
care
provider
shall
not
be
civilly
28
liable
for
diagnosing
or
treating
the
police
service
dog
if
the
29
emergency
medical
care
provider
acted
reasonably
and
in
good
30
faith.
31
EXPLANATION
32
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
33
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
34
BACKGROUND.
Current
law
provides
for
veterinary
medical
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539
services
that
include
diagnosing
or
treating
an
animal’s
1
injury.
The
services
are
required
to
be
provided
by
a
2
veterinarian
holding
a
license
or
temporary
permit
issued
by
3
the
Iowa
board
of
veterinary
medicine
(Code
chapter
169).
4
Certain
exceptions
apply
which
allow
other
persons
to
provide
5
limited
services,
such
as
persons
performing
accepted
livestock
6
management
practices
(Code
section
169.4).
7
BILL’S
PROVISIONS.
This
bill
provides
an
exception
for
8
a
person
certified
by
the
Iowa
department
of
public
health
9
as
an
emergency
medical
care
provider
(Code
chapter
147A)
10
when
diagnosing
or
treating
a
police
service
dog
acting
under
11
the
supervision
of
peace
officer
(e.g.,
county
sheriff
or
12
deputy,
police
officer
employed
by
a
city,
or
member
of
the
13
department
of
public
safety).
The
police
service
dog
must
14
be
injured
while
on
duty,
the
injury
must
be
severe,
and
the
15
veterinary
medical
services
must
be
necessary
to
immediately
16
stabilize
the
police
service
dog’s
condition
for
a
later
17
diagnosis
or
treatment
by
a
licensed
veterinarian
or
temporary
18
permit
holder.
The
bill
provides
that
an
emergency
medical
19
care
provider
is
not
required
to
diagnose
or
treat
a
police
20
service
dog,
cannot
provide
such
a
service
prior
to
diagnosing
21
or
treating
a
human
at
the
scene
of
an
emergency,
and
is
not
22
civilly
liable
for
diagnosing
or
treating
the
police
service
23
dog
if
the
emergency
medical
care
provider
acted
reasonably
and
24
in
good
faith.
25
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