Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

HOUSE BILL NO. 4067
     February 02, 2023, Introduced by Reps. Paiz, Tsernoglou, Hope, Steckloff, Dievendorf, Wilson,
        Hill, Miller, Brabec, Thompson, McFall, Fitzgerald, Brenda Carter, Hood and Morgan and
        referred to the Committee on Criminal Justice.
          A bill to create the care for retired police dogs program act;
    and to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local
    governmental officers and entities.
                     THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
       Sec. 1. This act may be cited as the "care for retired police
 dogs program act".
       Sec. 3. The legislature finds and declares all of the
 following:
       (a) Police dogs are an integral part of many law enforcement
 and correctional efforts statewide, including the apprehension of
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 suspects through tracking and searching, evidence location, drug
 and bomb detection, and search and rescue operations.
         (b) Law enforcement and correctional agencies agree that the
 use of police dogs is an extremely cost-effective means of crime
 control and that police dogs possess skills and abilities that
 frequently exceed those of existing technology.
         (c) The service of police dogs is often dangerous and can
 expose them to injury at a rate higher than that of nonservice
 dogs.
         (d) Police dogs provide significant contributions to the
 residents of this state.
         Sec. 5. As used in this act:
         (a) "Correctional agency" means a lawfully established state
 or local public agency having primary responsibility for the
 supervision, protection, care, custody, control, or investigation
 of inmates at a correctional facility.
         (b) "Department" means the department of state police.
         (c) "Law enforcement agency" means an entity that is
 established and maintained in accordance with the laws of this
 state and is authorized by the laws of this state to appoint or
 employ law enforcement officers.
         (d) "Program" means the care for retired police dogs program
 created under section 7.
         (e) "Retired police dog" means a dog that was previously in
 the service of or employed by a law enforcement agency or
 correctional agency in this state for the sole purpose of aiding in
 the detection of criminal activity, enforcement of laws, or
 apprehension of offenders and that received certification in
 obedience and apprehension work from a certifying organization,
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 such as the National Police Canine Association, or other certifying
 organization.
         (f) "Veterinarian" means a person licensed to practice
 veterinary medicine under article 15 of the public health code,
 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838, or under a state or
 federal law applicable to that person.
         (g) "Veterinary care" means services provided by a
 veterinarian or a specialist referred by a veterinarian. Veterinary
 care includes, but is not limited to, annual wellness examinations,
 vaccinations, internal and external parasite prevention treatments,
 testing and treatment of illnesses and diseases, medications,
 emergency care and surgeries, veterinary oncology, or other
 specialty care, euthanasia, and cremation.
         Sec. 7. (1) The department shall, subject to appropriation,
 create, implement, and administer the care for retired police dogs
 program for the purposes of awarding grants to eligible nonprofit
 organizations for the veterinary care of retired police dogs.
         (2) The department shall select eligible nonprofit
 organizations through a competitive grant award process. A funding
 application for the grant program must be made on a form approved
 by the department and must contain the information required by the
 department.
         (3) To be eligible for a grant under the program, an eligible
 nonprofit organization shall meet all of the following criteria:
         (a) Be dedicated to the protection or care of retired police
 dogs.
         (b) Be exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the
 internal revenue code, 26 USC 501(c)(3).
         (c) Have maintained tax-exempt status under subdivision (b)
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 for at least 5 years.
       (d) Agree to be subject to review and audit at the discretion
 of the auditor general in order to ensure accurate accounting and
 disbursement of grant funds.
       (e) Demonstrate the ability to effectively and efficiently
 disseminate information and to assist former handlers and adopters
 of retired police dogs in complying with this act.
       (4) An eligible nonprofit organization that is awarded a grant
 under the program shall disburse the grant funds to a former
 handler or adopter of a retired police dog upon receipt of all of
 the following:
       (a) Valid documentation from the law enforcement agency or
 correctional agency from which the dog retired that verifies that
 the dog was in the service of or employed by that agency, and that
 any of the following applies:
       (i) That the dog served 5 years or more with that agency.
       (ii) That the dog served a total of 5 years or more with 2 or
 more law enforcement agencies or correctional agencies.
       (iii) Notwithstanding the length of service requirements in this
 act, that the dog served 3 years or more with 1 or more law
 enforcement agencies or correctional agencies, was injured in the
 line of duty while serving with a law enforcement agency or
 correctional agency, and retired from the agency the dog was
 serving with at the time of the injury due to the injury.
       (b) A valid invoice from a veterinarian for veterinary care
 provided in this state to a retired police dog and documentation
 establishing payment of the invoice by the former handler or the
 adopter of the retired police dog.
       Sec. 9. (1) Annual disbursements of grant funds to a former
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 handler or an adopter to reimburse him or her for a retired police
 dog's veterinary care may not exceed $1,500.00 per dog. A former
 handler or an adopter of a retired police dog may not accumulate
 unused funds from a current year for use in a future year.
       (2) A former handler or an adopter of a retired police dog who
 seeks reimbursement for veterinary care may not receive
 reimbursements if funds appropriated under the program are depleted
 in the year for which the reimbursement is sought.
       Sec. 11. The department may promulgate rules necessary to
 implement this act under the administrative procedures act of 1969,
 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328.
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