Senate Bill 226 (2022) — Care for retired law enforcement dogs
SB 226
Florida Bills
Florida Senate - 2022 SB 226 By Senator Powell 30-00301-22 2022226__ Page 1 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to care for retired law enforcement 2 dogs; providing a
short title; creating s. 943.69, 3 F.S.; providing legislative findings; providing 4
definitions; creating the Care for Retired Law 5 Enforcement Dogs Program within the Department of Law 6 Enforcement; requiring the department to contract with 7 a nonprofit corporation to administer and manage the 8 program; specifying requirements for the nonprofit 9 corporation; specifying requirements for the 10 disbursement of funds for the veterinary care of 11 eligible retired law enforcement dogs; limiting annual 12 funding available for an eligible dog; prohibiting the 13 accumulation of unused funds from a current year for 14 use in a future year; prohibiting reimbursement in 15 certain circumstances; providing for use of 16 appropriated funds for administrative expenses; 17 requiring the department to adopt rules; providing an 18 appropriation; providing an effective date. 19 20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 21 22
Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Care for Retired 23 Law Enforcement Dogs Program Act.” 24
Section
Section 943.69, Florida Statutes, is created to 25 read: 26 943.69 Care for Retired Law Enforcement Dogs Program.— 27
(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.—The Legislature finds that: 28 (
a) Law enforcement dogs are an integral part of many law 29
Florida Senate - 2022 SB 226 30-00301-22 2022226__ Page 2 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. enforcement efforts statewide, including the apprehension of 30 suspects through tracking and searching, evidence location, drug 31 and bomb detection, and search and rescue operations. 32 (
b) Law enforcement agencies agree that the use of law 33 enforcement dogs is an extremely cost-effective means of crime 34 control and that these dogs possess skills and abilities that 35 frequently exceed those of existing technology. 36 (
c) The service of law enforcement dogs is often dangerous 37 and can expose them to injury at a rate higher than that of 38 nonservice dogs. 39 (
d) Law enforcement dogs provide significant contributions 40 to the residents of this state. 41
(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 42 (a) “Law enforcement agency” means a lawfully established 43 state or local public agency having primary responsibility for 44 the prevention and detection of crime or the enforcement of 45 penal, traffic, highway, regulatory, game, immigration, postal, 46 customs, or controlled substance laws. 47 (b) “Retired law enforcement dog” means a dog that was 48 previously in the service of or employed by a law enforcement 49 agency in this state for the principal purpose of aiding in the 50 detection of criminal activity, enforcement of laws, or 51 apprehension of offenders and that received certification in 52 obedience and apprehension work from a certifying organization, 53 such as the National Police Canine Association, Inc., or other 54 certifying organization. 55 (c) “Veterinarian” has the same meaning as in s. 474.202. 56 (d) “Veterinary care” means the practice, by a 57 veterinarian, of veterinary medicine as defined in s. 474.202. 58
Florida Senate - 2022 SB 226 30-00301-22 2022226__ Page 3 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. The term includes annual wellness examinations, vaccinations, 59 internal and external parasite prevention treatments, testing 60 and treatment of illnesses and diseases, medications, emergency 61 care and surgeries, veterinary oncology or other specialty care, 62 euthanasia, and cremation. 63
(3) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Care for Retired Law 64 Enforcement Dogs Program is created within the department to 65 provide a stable funding source for the veterinary care for 66 retired law enforcement dogs. 67
(4) ADMINISTRATION.—The department shall contract with a 68 nonprofit corporation organized under
chapter 617 to administer 69 and manage the Care for Retired Law Enforcement Dogs Program. 70 Notwithstanding
chapter 287, the department shall select the 71 nonprofit corporation through a competitive grant award process. 72 The nonprofit corporation must meet all of the following 73 criteria: 74 (
a) Be dedicated to the protection or care of retired law 75 enforcement dogs. 76 (
b) Be exempt from taxation under s. 501(
a) of the Internal 77 Revenue Code as an organization described in s. 501(c)(3) of 78 that code. 79 (
c) Have maintained such tax-exempt status for at least 5 80 years. 81 (
d) Agree to be subject to review and audit at the 82 discretion of the Auditor General in order to ensure accurate 83 accounting and disbursement of state funds. 84 (
e) Demonstrate the ability to effectively and efficiently 85 disseminate information and to assist former handlers and 86 adopters of retired law enforcement dogs in complying with this 87
Florida Senate - 2022 SB 226 30-00301-22 2022226__ Page 4 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. section. 88
(5) FUNDING.— 89 (
a) The nonprofit corporation shall be the disbursing 90 authority for funds the Legislature appropriates to the 91 department for the Care for Retired Law Enforcement Dogs 92 Program. These funds must be disbursed to the former handler or 93 the adopter of a retired law enforcement dog that served for 5 94 years or more as a law enforcement dog upon receipt of: 95 1. Valid documentation from the law enforcement agency from 96 which the dog retired which verifies that the dog was in the 97 service of or employed by that agency; and 98 a. That the dog served 5 years or more with that agency; or 99 b.
Documentation showing that the dog served a total of 5 100 years or more with two or more law enforcement agencies; and 101 2. A valid invoice from a veterinarian for veterinary care 102 provided in this state to a retired law enforcement dog and 103 documentation establishing payment of the invoice by the former 104 handler or the adopter of the retired law enforcement dog. 105 (
b) Annual disbursements to a former handler or an adopter 106 to reimburse him or her for the cost of the retired law 107 enforcement dog’s veterinary care may not exceed $1,500 per dog. 108 A former handler or an adopter of a retired law enforcement dog 109 may not accumulate unused funds from a current year for use in a 110 future year. 111 (
c) A former handler or an adopter of a retired law 112 enforcement dog who seeks reimbursement for veterinary care may 113 not receive reimbursement if funds appropriated for the Care for 114 Retired Law Enforcement Dogs Program are depleted in the year 115 for which the reimbursement is sought. 116
Florida Senate - 2022 SB 226 30-00301-22 2022226__ Page 5 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
(6) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—The department shall pay to 117 the nonprofit corporation, and the nonprofit corporation may 118 use, up to 10 percent of appropriated funds for its 119 administrative expenses, including salaries and benefits. 120
(7) RULEMAKING.—The department shall adopt rules to 121 implement this section. 122
Section 3. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, and each fiscal 123 year thereafter, the sum of $300,000 in recurring funds is 124 appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of 125 Law Enforcement for the purpose of implementing and 126 administering the Care for Retired Law Enforcement Dogs Program. 127