Senate Bill S10422

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10422
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. MARTINEZ, BYNOE -- 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 care for  retired  law
   enforcement and fire investigation dogs
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 844 to
 read as follows:
   § 844. CARE FOR RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE  INVESTIGATION  DOGS.
 1.  DEFINITIONS.   FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS
 SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT DOG" SHALL MEAN A DOG THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY
 IN THE SERVICE OF OR UTILIZED BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR  A  CORREC-
 TIONAL  AGENCY  IN THIS STATE FOR THE PRINCIPAL PURPOSE OF AIDING IN THE
 DETECTION OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS, OR APPREHENSION  OF
 OFFENDERS  AND  THAT RECEIVED CERTIFICATION ISSUED BY THE DIVISION OR BY
 THE DIVISION OF STATE POLICE ATTESTING TO THE SATISFACTORY COMPLETION OF
 A POLICE CANINE TRAINING PROGRAM.
   (B) "RETIRED FIRE INVESTIGATION DOG" SHALL MEAN A  DOG  PREVIOUSLY  IN
 THE  SERVICE  OF OR UTILIZED BY A FIRE DEPARTMENT AS AN IGNITABLE LIQUID
 DETECTION CANINE OR OTHERWISE TRAINED TO ASSIST  IN  FIRE  INVESTIGATION
 AND  THAT RECEIVED CERTIFICATION ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF FIRE PREVENTION
 AND CONTROL WITHIN THE  DIVISION  OF  HOMELAND  SECURITY  AND  EMERGENCY
 SERVICES  OR THROUGH ANOTHER RECOGNIZED FIRE INVESTIGATION CANINE TRAIN-
 ING PROGRAM ATTESTING TO THE SATISFACTORY COMPLETION OF SUCH TRAINING.
   (C) "LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY" SHALL MEAN ANY AGENCY  OR  DEPARTMENT  OF
 ANY  MUNICIPALITY,  ANY  POLICE  DISTRICT,  OR  ANY  AGENCY, DEPARTMENT,
 COMMISSION, AUTHORITY OR PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION IN THE STATE EMPLOY-
 ING A POLICE OFFICER OR POLICE OFFICERS  AS  THAT  TERM  IS  DEFINED  IN
 SUBDIVISION THIRTY-FOUR OF SECTION 1.20 OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW.
   (D) "CORRECTIONAL AGENCY" SHALL MEAN ANY AGENCY OR DEPARTMENT OPERATED
 BY THE STATE, A COUNTY, MUNICIPALITY, OR CITY OF NEW YORK HAVING PRIMARY
 RESPONSIBILITY  FOR THE SUPERVISION, PROTECTION, CARE, CUSTODY, CONTROL,
 OR INVESTIGATION OF INCARCERATED  INDIVIDUALS  IN  THE  STATE  EMPLOYING
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD15170-04-6
 S. 10422                            2
 
 POLICE  OFFICERS  AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION THIRTY-FOUR
 OF SECTION 1.20 OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW OR PEACE OFFICERS AS  THAT
 TERM IS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION TWENTY-FIVE OF SECTION 2.10 OF THE CRIMI-
 NAL PROCEDURE LAW.
   (E)  "FIRE DEPARTMENT" SHALL MEAN ANY DEPARTMENT, AGENCY, OR UNIT OF A
 COUNTY, CITY, TOWN, VILLAGE, OR FIRE DISTRICT PROVIDING FIRE  PROTECTION
 OR  FIRE  INVESTIGATION SERVICES IN THIS STATE, WHETHER COMPOSED OF PAID
 OR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS, AND MAY BE  COMPOSED  OF  ONE  OR  MORE  FIRE
 COMPANIES  AS  DEFINED  IN  SECTION THREE OF THE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS'
 BENEFIT LAW.
   (F) "VETERINARY CARE" SHALL MEAN THE PRACTICE, BY A  VETERINARIAN,  OF
 VETERINARY MEDICINE AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE OF THE
 EDUCATION  LAW. THE TERM SHALL ALSO INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO ANNUAL
 WELLNESS EXAMINATIONS,  VACCINATIONS,  INTERNAL  AND  EXTERNAL  PARASITE
 PREVENTION  TREATMENTS, TESTING AND TREATMENT OF ILLNESSES AND DISEASES,
 MEDICATIONS, EMERGENCY CARE AND SURGERIES, PHYSICAL THERAPY,  VETERINARY
 ONCOLOGY OR OTHER SPECIALTY CARE, EUTHANASIA, AND CREMATION.
   2. THE DIVISION SHALL ESTABLISH A VETERINARY CARE PROGRAM FOR THE CARE
 OF RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE INVESTIGATION DOGS AND SHALL PROMUL-
 GATE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO EFFECTUATE SUCH PROGRAM.
   3. THE PROGRAM SHALL COVER THE COST OF VETERINARY CARE FOR RETIRED LAW
 ENFORCEMENT  AND  FIRE INVESTIGATION DOGS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE LIFE-
 TIME OF SUCH DOGS PROVIDED  THE  LAW  ENFORCEMENT  AGENCY,  CORRECTIONAL
 AGENCY, OR FIRE DEPARTMENT ELECTS TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH PROGRAM.
   4.  THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, CORRECTIONAL AGENCY OR FIRE DEPARTMENT
 WHERE SUCH RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OR FIRE INVESTIGATION DOG  SERVED  OR
 WAS  UTILIZED  SHALL  ELECT  TO  PARTICIPATE  IN THE PROGRAM ESTABLISHED
 PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION.
   5. IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR SUCH PROGRAM, THE HANDLER OR ADOPTER OF
 SUCH RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OR FIRE  INVESTIGATION  DOG  SHALL  PROVIDE
 PROOF  THAT THE DOG WAS IN SERVICE AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OR FIRE INVESTI-
 GATION DOG FOR AT LEAST:
   (A) FIVE YEARS; OR
   (B) WAS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE DUE TO AN INJURY TO THE DOG; OR
   (C) WAS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE DUE TO  THE  DOG  BEING  TRAINED  IN  THC
 DETECTION AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT DOG.
   6.  A HANDLER OR ADOPTER OF AN ELIGIBLE LAW ENFORCEMENT OR FIRE INVES-
 TIGATION DOG SHALL BE ENTITLED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST OF  VETERI-
 NARY CARE UPON SUBMISSION OF A VALID INVOICE FROM A VETERINARIAN.
   § 2. The program established by section 844 of the executive  law,  as
 added by section one of this act shall be subject to an appropriation to
 the division of criminal justice services out of any moneys in the state
 treasury in the general fund.
   §  3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law.