Enacts the "veterinary care of retired law enforcement and fire service canines act" to provide reimbursement for certain veterinary costs to owners of retired service canines which had served in law enforcement agencies and fire departments.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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9531
IN SENATE
March 20, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. MARTINS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
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. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "veterinary
2 care of retired law enforcement and fire service canines act".
3 § 2. Legislative findings. 1. Law enforcement and fire service canines
4 have become an integral part of public safety operations throughout the
5 state of New York, including suspect apprehension, arson and accelerant
6 detection, evidence location, narcotics and explosives detection, disas-
7 ter response, and search and rescue operations.
8 2. Law enforcement and fire service canines provide an extremely cost-
9 effective and invaluable service to the people of the state of New York.
10 3. The duties performed by law enforcement and fire service canines
11 are often dangerous and result in higher rates of injury and long-term
12 medical conditions than those experienced by non-working dogs.
13 4. Retired service canines deserve humane treatment and appropriate
14 veterinary care after years of faithful service protecting the residents
15 of the state of New York.
16 § 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 236 to read
17 as follows:
18 § 236. Veterinary care of retired law enforcement and fire service
19 canines. 1. This section shall apply to any dog formerly owned and used
20 by:
21 (a) a state or local law enforcement agency; or
22 (b) a municipal or volunteer fire department or fire protection
23 district within the state of New York for official public safety or
24 emergency service purposes.
25 2. A state or local law enforcement agency or fire department that
26 retires a service canine from active duty shall reimburse an individual
27 who, pursuant to a written agreement with such agency or department,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14910-01-6
S. 9531 2
1 assumes ownership of such canine on or after the effective date of this
2 section for reasonable and necessary veterinary treatment provided to
3 such canine.
4 3. Reimbursement authorized under this section shall:
5 (a) be limited to usual and customary veterinary treatment that is not
6 attributable to abuse or neglect and is verified by written receipts;
7 (b) not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars per calendar year;
8 and
9 (c) not exceed ten thousand dollars over the lifetime of the canine.
10 4. The division of state police, in consultation with the office of
11 fire prevention and control and the division of the budget, shall work
12 with other state or local law enforcement agencies and fire departments
13 to administer the reimbursement program established pursuant to this
14 section and shall promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary
15 to carry out the provisions of this section.
16 5. Expenditures for the reimbursement program established pursuant to
17 this section shall be made from the retired public safety canine veteri-
18 nary care fund established pursuant to section ninety-nine-uu of the
19 state finance law. Moneys expended pursuant to this section shall be
20 supplemental to, and shall not supplant, any other funds appropriated
21 for the care of retired law enforcement or fire service canines.
22 6. The division of state police, in coordination with the office of
23 fire prevention and control, shall submit an annual report to the gover-
24 nor, the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the
25 assembly which shall include:
26 (a) the number of retired law enforcement and fire service canines
27 receiving reimbursement;
28 (b) the total amount expended on such reimbursement; and
29 (c) any recommendations for improvements to the reimbursement program.
30 § 4. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-uu to
31 read as follows:
32 § 99-uu. Retired public safety canine veterinary care fund. 1. There
33 is hereby established in the joint custody of the state comptroller and
34 the commissioner of taxation and finance, a fund to be known as the
35 retired public safety canine veterinary care fund.
36 2. Moneys in such fund shall consist solely of funds appropriated by
37 the legislature for the purposes of section two hundred thirty-six of
38 the executive law.
39 3. Such fund shall be a continuing fund and shall not lapse at the
40 close of the fiscal year.
41 4. Expenditures from such fund shall be made only pursuant to appro-
42 priation and only for reimbursement of veterinary care and reasonable
43 administrative expenses related to the program established pursuant to
44 section two hundred thirty-six of the executive law.
45 § 5. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
46 the date on which it shall have become a law.
