104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB3544 Introduced , by Rep. Bradley Fritts SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act625 ILCS 5/3-699.8 Creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program Act. Creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program within the University of Illinois system to provide a stable funding source for the veterinary care of retired police dogs. Provides that the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois shall contract with a not-for-profit corporation to administer and manage the Program. Sets forth the required criteria a not-for-profit corporation must meet to be selected for a grant award. Subject to appropriation, requires the Board of Trustees to make grants to the not-for-profit corporation to be the disbursing authority for the Program. Provides that annual disbursements to a former handler or an adopter of a retired police dog to reimburse him or her for the cost of the retired police dog's veterinary care may not exceed $1,500 per dog. Requires the Board of Trustees to adopt rules to implement the Act. Makes a conforming change in the Illinois Vehicle Code. LRB104 09954 LNS 20024 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB3544 Introduced , by Rep. Bradley Fritts SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act625 ILCS 5/3-699.8 New Act 625 ILCS 5/3-699.8 Creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program Act. Creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program within the University of Illinois system to provide a stable funding source for the veterinary care of retired police dogs. Provides that the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois shall contract with a not-for-profit corporation to administer and manage the Program. Sets forth the required criteria a not-for-profit corporation must meet to be selected for a grant award. Subject to appropriation, requires the Board of Trustees to make grants to the not-for-profit corporation to be the disbursing authority for the Program. Provides that annual disbursements to a former handler or an adopter of a retired police dog to reimburse him or her for the cost of the retired police dog's veterinary care may not exceed $1,500 per dog. Requires the Board of Trustees to adopt rules to implement the Act. Makes a conforming change in the Illinois Vehicle Code. LRB104 09954 LNS 20024 b LRB104 09954 LNS 20024 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB3544 Introduced , by Rep. Bradley Fritts SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act625 ILCS 5/3-699.8 New Act 625 ILCS 5/3-699.8
New Act
625 ILCS 5/3-699.8
Creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program Act. Creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program within the University of Illinois system to provide a stable funding source for the veterinary care of retired police dogs. Provides that the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois shall contract with a not-for-profit corporation to administer and manage the Program. Sets forth the required criteria a not-for-profit corporation must meet to be selected for a grant award. Subject to appropriation, requires the Board of Trustees to make grants to the not-for-profit corporation to be the disbursing authority for the Program. Provides that annual disbursements to a former handler or an adopter of a retired police dog to reimburse him or her for the cost of the retired police dog's veterinary care may not exceed $1,500 per dog. Requires the Board of Trustees to adopt rules to implement the Act. Makes a conforming change in the Illinois Vehicle Code.
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A BILL FOR
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1 AN ACT concerning retired police dogs.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Care
5 for Retired Police Dogs Program Act.
6 Section 5. General Assembly findings. The General Assembly
7 finds that:
8 (1) police dogs are an integral part of many law
9 enforcement and correctional efforts statewide, including
10 the apprehension of suspects through tracking and
11 searching, evidence location, drug and bomb detection, and
12 search and rescue operations;
13 (2) law enforcement and correctional agencies agree
14 that the use of police dogs is an extremely cost-effective
15 means of crime control and that police dogs possess skills
16 and abilities that frequently exceed those of existing
17 technology;
18 (3) the service of police dogs is often dangerous and
19 can expose them to injury at a rate higher than that of
20 non-service dogs; and
21 (4) police dogs provide significant contributions to
22 the residents of this State.
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB3544 Introduced , by Rep. Bradley Fritts SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act625 ILCS 5/3-699.8 New Act 625 ILCS 5/3-699.8
New Act
625 ILCS 5/3-699.8
Creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program Act. Creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program within the University of Illinois system to provide a stable funding source for the veterinary care of retired police dogs. Provides that the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois shall contract with a not-for-profit corporation to administer and manage the Program. Sets forth the required criteria a not-for-profit corporation must meet to be selected for a grant award. Subject to appropriation, requires the Board of Trustees to make grants to the not-for-profit corporation to be the disbursing authority for the Program. Provides that annual disbursements to a former handler or an adopter of a retired police dog to reimburse him or her for the cost of the retired police dog's veterinary care may not exceed $1,500 per dog. Requires the Board of Trustees to adopt rules to implement the Act. Makes a conforming change in the Illinois Vehicle Code.
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A BILL FOR
New Act
625 ILCS 5/3-699.8
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1 Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
2 "Correctional agency" means a lawfully established State
3 or local public agency having primary responsibility for the
4 supervision, protection, care, custody, control, or
5 investigation of inmates at a correctional institution.
6 "Law enforcement agency" means a lawfully established
7 State or local public agency having primary responsibility for
8 the prevention and detection of crime or the enforcement of
9 penal, traffic, highway, regulatory, gaming, immigration,
10 postal, customs, or controlled substances laws.
11 "Retired police dog" means a dog that was previously in
12 the service of or employed by a law enforcement agency or a
13 correctional agency in this State for the principal purpose of
14 aiding in the detection of criminal activity, enforcement of
15 laws, or apprehension of offenders and that received
16 certification in obedience and apprehension work from a
17 certifying organization, such as the National Police Canine
18 Association or a similar certifying organization.
19 "Veterinarian" has the same meaning given to that term in
20 the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004.
21 "Veterinary care" means the practice, by a veterinarian,
22 of veterinary medicine as defined in Section 3 of the
23 Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004. The term
24 includes annual wellness examinations, vaccinations, internal
25 and external parasite prevention treatments, testing and
26 treatment of illnesses and diseases, medications, emergency
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1 care and surgeries, veterinary oncology or other specialty
2 care, euthanasia, and cremation.
3 Section 15. Establishment of program. The Care for Retired
4 Police Dogs Program is created within the University of
5 Illinois system to provide a stable funding source for the
6 veterinary care of retired police dogs.
7 Section 20. Administration. The Board of Trustees of the
8 University of Illinois shall contract with a not-for-profit
9 corporation organized under Article 2 of the General Not For
10 Profit Corporation Act of 1986 to administer and manage the
11 Care for Retired Police Dogs Program. The Board of Trustees of
12 the University of Illinois shall select the not-for-profit
13 corporation through a competitive grant award process. The
14 not-for-profit corporation must meet all of the following
15 criteria:
16 (1) Be dedicated to the protection or care of retired
17 police dogs.
18 (2) Be exempt from taxation under Section 501(a) of
19 the Internal Revenue Code as an organization described in
20 Section 501(c)(3) of that Code.
21 (3) Have maintained such tax-exempt status for at
22 least 5 years.
23 (4) Agree to be subject to review and audit at the
24 discretion of the Auditor General in order to ensure
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1 accurate accounting and disbursement of State funds.
2 (5) Demonstrate the ability to effectively and
3 efficiently disseminate information and to assist former
4 handlers and adopters of retired police dogs in complying
5 with this Act.
6 Section 25. Funding.
7 (a) Subject to appropriations made by the General Assembly
8 from the Illinois Police K-9 Memorial Fund to the University
9 of Illinois for implementation of this Act, the Board of
10 Trustees of the University of Illinois shall make grants to
11 the not-for-profit corporation contracted by the Board of
12 Trustees of the University of Illinois under Section 20 to be
13 the disbursing authority for the Care for Retired Police Dogs
14 Program. These funds must be disbursed to the former handler
15 or the adopter of a retired police dog that served for 5 years
16 or more as a police dog upon receipt of:
17 (1) valid documentation from the law enforcement
18 agency or correctional agency from which the dog retired
19 that verifies that the dog was in the service of or
20 employed by that agency; and
21 (A) that the dog served 5 years or more with that
22 agency;
23 (B) that the dog served a total of 5 years or more
24 with 2 or more law enforcement agencies or
25 correctional agencies; or
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1 (C) that, notwithstanding the length of service
2 requirements elsewhere in this paragraph (1), the dog
3 served 3 years or more with one or more law enforcement
4 agencies or correctional agencies, was injured in the
5 line of duty while serving with a law enforcement
6 agency or correctional agency, and retired from the
7 agency the dog was serving with at the time of the
8 injury due to such injury; and
9 (2) a valid invoice from a veterinarian for veterinary
10 care provided in this State to a retired police dog and
11 documentation establishing payment of the invoice by the
12 former handler or the adopter of the retired police dog.
13 (b) Annual disbursements to a former handler or an adopter
14 to reimburse him or her for the cost of the retired police
15 dog's veterinary care may not exceed $1,500 per dog. A former
16 handler or an adopter of a retired police dog may not
17 accumulate unused funds from a current year for use in a future
18 year.
19 (c) A former handler or an adopter of a retired police dog
20 who seeks reimbursement for veterinary care under this Act may
21 not receive reimbursement if funds appropriated for the Care
22 for Retired Police Dogs Program are depleted in the year for
23 which the reimbursement is sought.
24 Section 30. Administrative expenses. The University of
25 Illinois shall pay to the not-for-profit corporation
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1 contracted by the Board of Trustees of the University of
2 Illinois under Section 20, and the not-for-profit corporation
3 may use, up to 10% of appropriated funds each fiscal year for
4 the not-for-profit corporation's administrative expenses,
5 including salaries and benefits.
6 Section 90. Rules. The Board of Trustees of the University
7 of Illinois shall adopt rules to implement this Act.
8 Section 100. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
9 changing Section 3-699.8 as follows:
10 (625 ILCS 5/3-699.8)
11 Sec. 3-699.8. Illinois Police K-9 Memorial Plates.
12 (a) The Secretary, upon receipt of all applicable fees and
13 applications made in the form prescribed by the Secretary, may
14 issue special registration plates designated as Illinois
15 Police K-9 Memorial license plates. The special plates issued
16 under this Section shall be affixed only to passenger vehicles
17 of the first division, motorcycles, autocycles, or motor
18 vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000
19 pounds. Plates issued under this Section shall expire
20 according to the multi-year procedure established by Section
21 3-414.1 of this Code.
22 (b) The design and color of the plates is wholly within the
23 discretion of the Secretary. The Secretary may allow the
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