New York S 9531: Enacts the "veterinary care of retired law enforcement and fire service canines act"

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S09531 Summary:

BILL NOS09531 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A11117

&nbsp

SPONSORMARTINS

&nbsp

COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Add §236, Exec L; add §99-uu, St Fin L

&nbsp

Enacts the "veterinary care of retired law enforcement and fire service canines act" to provide reimbursement for certain veterinary costs to owners of retired service canines which had served in law enforcement agencies and fire departments.

Go to top S09531 Actions:

BILL NOS09531 

&nbsp

03/20/2026REFERRED TO FINANCE

Go to topS09531 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS09531 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS09531 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 9531

 IN SENATE

 March 20, 2026
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. MARTINS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance

 AN ACT to amend the executive law and the state finance law, in relation
 to enacting the "veterinary care of retired law enforcement and fire
 service canines act"

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "veterinary
 2 care of retired law enforcement and fire service canines act".
 3 § 2. Legislative findings. 1. Law enforcement and fire service canines
 4 have become an integral part of public safety operations throughout the
 5 state of New York, including suspect apprehension, arson and accelerant
 6 detection, evidence location, narcotics and explosives detection, disas-
 7 ter response, and search and rescue operations.
 8 2. Law enforcement and fire service canines provide an extremely cost-
 9 effective and invaluable service to the people of the state of New York.
 10 3. The duties performed by law enforcement and fire service canines
 11 are often dangerous and result in higher rates of injury and long-term
 12 medical conditions than those experienced by non-working dogs.
 13 4. Retired service canines deserve humane treatment and appropriate
 14 veterinary care after years of faithful service protecting the residents
 15 of the state of New York.
 16 § 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 236 to read
 17 as follows:
 18 § 236. Veterinary care of retired law enforcement and fire service
 19 canines. 1. This section shall apply to any dog formerly owned and used
 20 by:
 21 (a) a state or local law enforcement agency; or
 22 (b) a municipal or volunteer fire department or fire protection
 23 district within the state of New York for official public safety or
 24 emergency service purposes.
 25 2. A state or local law enforcement agency or fire department that
 26 retires a service canine from active duty shall reimburse an individual
 27 who, pursuant to a written agreement with such agency or department,

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD14910-01-6

 S. 9531 2

 1 assumes ownership of such canine on or after the effective date of this
 2 section for reasonable and necessary veterinary treatment provided to
 3 such canine.
 4 3. Reimbursement authorized under this section shall:
 5 (a) be limited to usual and customary veterinary treatment that is not
 6 attributable to abuse or neglect and is verified by written receipts;
 7 (b) not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars per calendar year;
 8 and
 9 (c) not exceed ten thousand dollars over the lifetime of the canine.
 10 4. The division of state police, in consultation with the office of
 11 fire prevention and control and the division of the budget, shall work
 12 with other state or local law enforcement agencies and fire departments
 13 to administer the reimbursement program established pursuant to this
 14 section and shall promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary
 15 to carry out the provisions of this section.
 16 5. Expenditures for the reimbursement program established pursuant to
 17 this section shall be made from the retired public safety canine veteri-
 18 nary care fund established pursuant to section ninety-nine-uu of the
 19 state finance law. Moneys expended pursuant to this section shall be
 20 supplemental to, and shall not supplant, an