1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 733 FILED ON: 1/13/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2735
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Steven George Xiarhos and Steven S. Howitt
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act establishing a fund for the care of retired police dogs.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable1/13/2025Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida7th Plymouth2/5/2025Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex1/25/2025Michael J. Soter8th Worcester2/13/2025Joseph D. McKenna18th Worcester2/6/2025David F. DeCoste5th Plymouth1/22/2025Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr.5th Worcester2/11/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 733 FILED ON: 1/13/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2735
By Representatives Xiarhos of Barnstable and Howitt of Seekonk, a petition (accompanied by
bill, House, No. 2735) of Steven George Xiarhos, Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida and others
relative to establishing a fund for the care of retired police dogs. Public Safety and Homeland
Security.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2424 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act establishing a fund for the care of retired police dogs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 29 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby
2amended by inserting after section 2QQQQQ thereof the following new section:-
3 Section 2RRRRR. (a) There shall be a Retired Police Dog Care Fund that shall be
4administered by the secretary of the executive office of public safety and security. The fund shall
5consist of amounts credited to the fund from: (i) any appropriations, grants, gifts or other money
6authorized by the general court or other parties and specifically designated to be credited to the
7fund; and (ii) any income derived from the investment of amounts credited to the fund. Any
8unexpended balance in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund
9and shall be available for expenditure in the subsequent fiscal year. 2 of 2
10 (b) All amounts credited to the fund shall be used without further appropriation to make
11grants to non-profit institutions located within the commonwealth for the purpose of providing
12care and medical services to retired police dogs. The secretary of the executive office of public
13safety and security shall be responsible for ensuring that funds are properly allocated to and used
14by reputable organizations for the care and medical needs of retired police dogs. For purposes of
15this section, a "police dog" shall be defined in section 1 of chapter 111C.
16 (c) Annually, not later than March 1, the secretary of the executive office of public safety
17and security shall issue a report to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the joint
18committee on public safety and homeland security, and the senate and house committees on
19ways and means on the fund's activities including, but not limited to, amounts credited to the
20fund, amounts expended from the fund and any unexpended balance.