Bill Text: NY A04975 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Directs the division of criminal justice services to establish a program for the care of retired law enforcement dogs which shall cover the cost of veterinary care for retired law enforcement dogs for the remainder of the lifetime of such dogs.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 21-2)

Status: (Introduced) 2023-03-21 - enacting clause stricken [A04975 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A04975-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4975

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 27, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of A. GANDOLFO, PALMESANO, E. BROWN, DURSO, SMULLEN,
          MANKTELOW, BROOK-KRASNY, MAHER,  TAGUE,  BENDETT,  ANGELINO,  GUNTHER,
          BLUMENCRANZ,  SLATER,  MORINELLO,  MCGOWAN, BRABENEC, FLOOD, LEMONDES,
          McDONOUGH, JENSEN, J. M. GIGLIO --  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.
                                                                   LBD07924-02-3
        A. 4975                             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 April 1, 2024.