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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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 nonpro fit 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
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Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Care for Retired 23
Law Enforcement Dogs Program Act." 24
Section 2. Section 943.69, Florida Statutes, is created to 25
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
read: 26
943.69 Care for Retired Law Enforc ement Dogs Program.— 27
(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. —The Legislature finds that: 28
(a) Law enforcement dogs are an integral part of many law 29
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 law enforcement dogs possess skills and 35
abilities that 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. The term also includes a 47
correctional facility, as defined in s. 944.242(1). 48
(b) "Retired law enforcement dog" means a dog that was 49
previously in the service of or employed by a law enforcement 50
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
agency in this state for the principal purpose of aiding in the 51
detection of criminal activity, operation of a correctional 52
facility, enforcement of laws, or apprehension of offenders and 53
that received certificat ion in obedience and apprehension work 54
from a certifying organization, such as the National Police 55
Canine Association, Inc., or other certifying organization. 56
(c) "Veterinarian" has the same meaning as provided in s. 57
474.202. 58
(d) "Veterinary care" means the practice, by a 59
veterinarian, of veterinary medicine as defined in s. 474.202. 60
The term includes annual wellness examinations, vaccinations, 61
internal and external parasite prevention treatments, testing 62
and treatment of illnesses and diseases, med ications, emergency 63
care and surgeries, veterinary oncology or other specialty care, 64
euthanasia, and cremation. 65
(3) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. —The Care for Retired Law 66
Enforcement Dogs Program is created within the department to 67
provide a stable funding s ource for the veterinary care for 68
retired law enforcement dogs. 69
(4) ADMINISTRATION. —The department shall contract with a 70
nonprofit corporation organized under chapter 617 to administer 71
and manage the Care for Retired Law Enforcement Dogs Program. 72
Notwithstanding chapter 287, the department shall select the 73
nonprofit corporation through a competitive grant award process. 74
The nonprofit corporation must meet all of the following 75
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
criteria: 76
(a) Be dedicated to the protection or care of retired law 77
enforcement dogs. 78
(b) Be exempt from taxation under s. 501(a) of the 79
Internal Revenue Code as an organization described in s. 80
501(c)(3) of that code. 81
(c) Have maintained such tax -exempt status for at least 5 82
years. 83
(d) Agree to be subject to review and audit a t the 84
discretion of the Auditor General in order to ensure accurate 85
accounting and disbursement of state funds. 86
(e) Demonstrate the ability to effectively and efficiently 87
disseminate information and to assist former handlers and 88
adopters of retired law e nforcement dogs in complying with this 89
section. 90
(5) FUNDING.— 91
(a) The nonprofit corporation shall be the disbursing 92
authority for funds the Legislature appropriates to the 93
department for the Care for Retired Law Enforcement Dogs 94
Program. These funds mu st be disbursed to the former handler or 95
the adopter of a retired law enforcement dog that served for 5 96
years or more as a law enforcement dog upon receipt of: 97
1. Valid documentation from the law enforcement agency 98
from which the dog retired which verifi es that the dog was in 99
the service of or employed by: 100
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
a. One or more law enforcement agencies for a period of at 101
least 5 years; or 102
b. One or more law enforcement agencies for a period of at 103
least 3 years, was injured in the line of duty, and retired f rom 104
the agency due to such injury; and 105
2. A valid invoice from a veterinarian for veterinary care 106
provided in this state to a retired law enforcement dog and 107
documentation establishing payment of the invoice by the former 108
handler or the adopter of the re tired law enforcement dog. 109
(b) Annual disbursements to a former handler or an adopter 110
to reimburse him or her for the cost of the retired law 111
enforcement dog's veterinary care may not exceed $1,500 per dog. 112
A former handler or an adopter of a retired law enforcement dog 113
may not accumulate unused funds from a current year for use in a 114
future year. 115
(c) A former handler or an adopter of a retired law 116
enforcement dog who seeks reimbursement for veterinary care may 117
not receive reimbursement if funds appropri ated for the Care for 118
Retired Law Enforcement Dogs Program are depleted in the year 119
for which the reimbursement is sought. 120
(6) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES. —The department shall pay to 121
the nonprofit corporation, and the nonprofit corporation may 122
use, up to 10 percent of appropriated funds for its 123
administrative expenses, including salaries and benefits. 124
(7) RULEMAKING.—The department shall adopt rules to 125
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
implement this section. 126
Section 3. Effective July 1, 2022, for the 2022 -2023 127
fiscal year, the sum of $300,000 in recurring funds is 128
appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of 129
Law Enforcement for the purpose of implementing and 130
administering the Care for Retired Law Enforcement Dogs Program. 131
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 132