Enacts the "veterinary care of retired law enforcement and fire service canines act" which establishes a program to cover the cost of veterinary services for retired law enforcement and fire service canines.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10793
IN ASSEMBLY
April 1, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. RA -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Codes
AN ACT to amend the executive law and the state finance law, in relation
to enacting the "veterinary care of retired law enforcement and fire
service canines act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "veterinary care of retired law enforcement and fire service canines
3 act".
4 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that law
5 enforcement and fire service canines have become an integral part of
6 public safety operations throughout the state, including suspect appre-
7 hension, arson and accelerant detection, evidence location, narcotics
8 and explosives detection, disaster response, and search and rescue oper-
9 ations. These working canines provide an extremely cost-effective and
10 invaluable service to the people of the state. The duties performed by
11 law enforcement and fire service canines are often dangerous and result
12 in higher rates of injury and long-term medical conditions than those
13 experienced by non-working dogs. This legislation is necessary to ensure
14 that retired public safety canines receive the humane treatment and
15 appropriate veterinary care they deserve after years of faithful service
16 protecting the residents of New York state.
17 § 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 844 to read
18 as follows:
19 § 844. Veterinary care for retired law enforcement and fire service
20 canines. 1. This section shall apply to any dog formerly owned and used
21 by:
22 (a) a state or local law enforcement or correctional services agency;
23 or
24 (b) a municipal or volunteer fire department or fire protection
25 district within the state for official public safety or emergency
26 service purposes.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15238-01-6
A. 10793 2
1 2. The division, in consultation with the department of corrections
2 and community supervision and the office of fire prevention and control,
3 shall establish a program for the care of retired public safety canines
4 and shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate such program.
5 3. Such program shall cover the cost of veterinary care for retired
6 law enforcement and fire service canines from the retired public safety
7 canine veterinary care fund established pursuant to section ninety-nine-
8 uu of the state finance law with the following limitations:
9 (a) covered costs shall be limited to usual and customary veterinary
10 treatment that is not attributable to abuse or neglect and is verified
11 by written receipts;
12 (b) covered costs shall not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars
13 per calendar year; and
14 (c) covered costs shall not exceed ten thousand dollars over the life-
15 time of the canine.
16 4. The division, in consultation with the department of corrections
17 and community supervision and the office of fire prevention and control,
18 shall submit an annual report to the governor, the temporary president
19 of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the
20 senate and the minority leader of the assembly which shall include, but
21 not be limited to, the number of canines receiving coverage of costs
22 under the program and the total amount of costs covered.
23 § 4. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-uu to
24 read as follows:
25 § 99-uu. Retired public safety canine veterinary care fund. 1. There
26 is hereby established in the joint custody of the state comptroller and
27 the commissioner of taxation and finance a fund, to be known as the as
28 the "retired public safety canine veterinary care fund".
29 2. Such fund shall consist of all moneys credited, appropriated or
30 transferred thereto from any other fund or source. Nothing contained in
31 this section shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts or
32 bequests for the purposes of the fund as defined in this section and
33 depositing them into the fund according to law.
34 3. Moneys of the fund shall be available, subject to appropriation,
35 for veterinary care of retired law enforcement and fire service canines
36 pursuant to section eight hundred forty-four of the executive law.
37 4. On or before the first day of February of each calendar year, the
38 comptroller shall certify to the governor, the temporary president of
39 the senate, the minority leader of the senate, the speaker of the assem-
40 bly, the minority leader of the assembly, the chair of the senate
41 finance committee, the ranking member of the senate finance committee,
42 the chair of the assembly ways and means committee, and the ranking
43 member of the assembly ways and means committee, the amount of moneys
44 deposited into the retired public safety canine veterinary care fund
45 during the preceding calendar year.
46 5. On or before the first day of February each year, the commissioner
47 of the division of criminal justice services in consultation with the
48 department of corrections and community supervision and the office of
49 fire prevention and control shall provide a written report to the tempo-
50 rary president of the senate, the minority leader of the senate, the
51 speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the assembly, the chair
52 of the senate finance committee, the ranking member of the senate
53 finance committee, the chair of the assembly ways and means committee,
54 the ranking member of the assembly ways and means committee, the chair
55 of the senate codes committee, the ranking member of the senate codes
56 committee, the chair of the assembly codes committee, and the ranking
A. 10793 3
1 member of the assembly codes committee. Such report shall include how
2 the moneys of the fund were utilized during the preceding calendar year,
3 and shall include:
4 (a) the total amount of moneys deposited into the fund;
5 (b) the total amount of reimbursements made for veterinary care;
6 (c) number of retired law enforcement and fire service canines receiv-
7 ing reimbursement;
8 (d) a summary financial plan for the fund, including estimates of
9 receipts and disbursements for the current and succeeding fiscal years;
10 and
11 (e) any recommendations for program improvements.
12 6. Moneys shall be paid out of the fund on the audit and warrant of
13 the comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the commissioner
14 of the division of criminal justice services, in consultation with the
15 department of corrections and community supervision and the office of
16 fire prevention and control. Any interest received by the comptroller on
17 moneys on deposit in the retired public safety canine veterinary care
18 fund shall be retained in and become part of such fund. No money from
19 such fund may be withdrawn, transferred, or used by any person for any
20 purpose other than as permitted by this section.
21 § 5. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
22 the date on which it shall have become a law.
