| 1 | 1 | | By: Louderback H.B. No. 2823 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to establishing a grant program for qualified medical |
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| 9 | 9 | | expenses of retired law enforcement dogs. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 614, Subchapter L, |
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| 12 | 12 | | Government Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SUBCHAPTER L. RETIREMENT AND CARE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ANIMAL |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 2. Sec. 614.211, Government Code, is amending by |
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| 15 | 15 | | adding Subsection (3) to read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (3) "Veterinarian" has the meaning assigned by Sec. |
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| 17 | 17 | | 801.002(6), Occupations Code. |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 3. Chapter 614, Subchapter L, Government Code, is |
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| 19 | 19 | | amended by adding Sections 614.218, 614.219, and 614.220 to read as |
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| 20 | 20 | | follows: |
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| 21 | 21 | | Sec. 614.218. RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT DOG MEDICAL |
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| 22 | 22 | | ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (a) The comptroller shall establish and administer a grant |
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| 24 | 24 | | program to provide financial support for qualified medical expenses |
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| 25 | 25 | | to transferees who adopt retired dogs under this subchapter. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) The comptroller may award a grant to a transferee for |
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| 27 | 27 | | qualified medical expenses under this section using funds |
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| 28 | 28 | | appropriated for that purpose. The comptroller may accept gifts, |
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| 29 | 29 | | grants, or donations for the purpose of administering funds under |
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| 30 | 30 | | this section. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (c) Grants awarded to a transferee under this section shall |
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| 32 | 32 | | be used to assist a qualified transferee provide medical care for a |
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| 33 | 33 | | retired dog with a qualified medical expense. For the purpose of |
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| 34 | 34 | | this section, a qualified medical expense is care provided to a dog |
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| 35 | 35 | | for the purpose of caring for: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) severe injury threatening the life, mobility, or |
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| 37 | 37 | | long-term health of the dog; or |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) illness or disease threatening the life, mobility, |
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| 39 | 39 | | or long-term health of the dog. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (c) Grants may not be awarded under this section for: |
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| 41 | 41 | | (1) a dog with no reasonable possibility of recovery |
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| 42 | 42 | | as determined by a qualified veterinarian under Sec. 614.219; or |
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| 43 | 43 | | (2) any retired law enforcement animal other than a |
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| 44 | 44 | | dog. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (d) Not later than 30 days after the final receipt of a |
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| 46 | 46 | | qualified medical expense, the transferee may submit an application |
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| 47 | 47 | | for a grant to the comptroller. An application submitted to the |
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| 48 | 48 | | comptroller under this section must include: |
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| 49 | 49 | | (1) a description of the qualified medical expense; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (2) a statement by a veterinarian under Sec. 614.219; |
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| 51 | 51 | | and |
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| 52 | 52 | | (3) any identifying information required by the |
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| 53 | 53 | | comptroller |
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| 54 | 54 | | Sec. 614.219. VETERINARIAN REVIEW REQUIRED. (a) An |
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| 55 | 55 | | application submitted to the comptroller under this subchapter must |
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| 56 | 56 | | include a statement from a veterinarian validating a qualified |
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| 57 | 57 | | medical expense under Sec. 614.218. |
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| 58 | 58 | | (b) A statement submitted by a veterinarian must: |
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| 59 | 59 | | (1) describe any treatment or procedure used to treat |
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| 60 | 60 | | the dog for which a grant application was submitted; |
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| 61 | 61 | | (2) indicate whether any treatment performed on a dog |
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| 62 | 62 | | for whom a transferee submits a grant application: |
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| 63 | 63 | | (i) was performed to treat a condition described |
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| 64 | 64 | | by Sec. 614.218(c); and |
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| 65 | 65 | | (ii) the dog on which treatment was performed had |
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| 66 | 66 | | a reasonable chance of recovery in the veterinarian's professional |
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| 67 | 67 | | judgment; and |
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| 68 | 68 | | (3) provide any identifying information required by |
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| 69 | 69 | | the comptroller. |
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| 70 | 70 | | Sec. 614.220. RULES. (a) The comptroller shall adopt rules |
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| 71 | 71 | | necessary to implement this section, including rules that |
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| 72 | 72 | | establish: |
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| 73 | 73 | | (1) a standardized application process, including the |
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| 74 | 74 | | form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the |
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| 75 | 75 | | form; |
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| 76 | 76 | | (2) a standardized form and guidance for submission of |
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| 77 | 77 | | a qualified veterinarian review under Sec. 614.219; |
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| 78 | 78 | | (3) deadlines for: |
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| 79 | 79 | | (A) disbursement of grant money; and |
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| 80 | 80 | | (B) spending grant money; and |
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| 81 | 81 | | (4) procedures for: |
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| 82 | 82 | | (A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to |
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| 83 | 83 | | ensure compliance with this section; and |
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| 84 | 84 | | (B) the return of grant money that was not used by |
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| 85 | 85 | | a transferee for a purpose authorized by this section. |
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| 86 | 86 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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