Bill Text: NY S02041 | 2025-2026 | 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: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-15 - REFERRED TO CODES [S02041 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S02041-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2041

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 15, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sens. MURRAY, MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed,
          and when printed to be committed 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
    23  procedure law or peace officers as that term is defined  in  subdivision
    24  twenty-five of section 2.10 of the criminal procedure law.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05766-01-5
        S. 2041                             2

     1    (d)  "Veterinary  care" shall mean the practice, by a veterinarian, of
     2  veterinary medicine as defined in article one hundred thirty-five of the
     3  education law. The term shall also include but not be limited to  annual
     4  wellness  examinations,  vaccinations,  internal  and  external parasite
     5  prevention  treatments, testing and treatment of illnesses and diseases,
     6  medications, emergency care and surgeries, physical therapy,  veterinary
     7  oncology or other specialty care, euthanasia, and cremation.
     8    2.  The division shall establish a program for the care of retired law
     9  enforcement dogs and shall promulgate rules and regulations to  effectu-
    10  ate such program.
    11    3. The program shall cover the cost of veterinary care for retired law
    12  enforcement dogs for the remainder of the lifetime of such dogs.
    13    4.  In order to be eligible for the program, the handler or adopter of
    14  the retired law enforcement dog shall provide proof that the dog was  in
    15  service as a law enforcement dog for at least:
    16    (a) five years; or
    17    (b) was taken out of service due to an injury to the dog; or
    18    (c)  was  taken  out  of  service  due to the dog being trained in THC
    19  detection.
    20    5. A handler or adopter of an eligible law enforcement  dog  shall  be
    21  entitled  to  be  reimbursed  for  the  cost  of  veterinary  care  upon
    22  submission of a valid invoice from a veterinarian.
    23    § 2. The program established by section 844 of the executive  law,  as
    24  added by section one of this act shall be subject to an appropriation to
    25  the division of criminal justice services out of any moneys in the state
    26  treasury in the general fund.
    27    §  3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
    28  the date on which it shall have become a law.