Bills › 91st General Assembly
Allowing police service dogs to receive emergency veterinary medical services while on duty
Sponsored by Rep. Eric J. Gjerde (D)
Topics:Courts & civil lawHealth carePublic safety & emergencies
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 14, 2025
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 27, 2025
- Done: House committeeFebruary 12, 2025
- Done: Passes the HouseApril 21, 202590–1
- Skipped: Senate committeeSkipped
- Done: Passes the SenateMarch 11, 202547–0
- Done: To the GovernorMay 6, 2025
- Done: Signed into lawMay 6, 2025
SF 296 became law → The same legislation passed as SF 296, so this version was set aside. Go to SF 296 What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
BACKGROUND. Current law provides for veterinary medical services that include diagnosing or treating an animal’s injury. The services are required to be provided by a veterinarian holding a license or temporary permit issued by the Iowa board of veterinary medicine (Code chapter 169).4). BILL’S PROVISIONS —— GENERAL PROVISIONS., county sheriff or deputy, police officer employed by a city, or member of the department of public safety). The police service dog must be injured while on duty, the injury must be severe, and the aid must be necessary to immediately stabilize the police service dog’s condition for later diagnosis or treatment by a licensed veterinarian or temporary permit holder.
Read the full explanation
A care provider who acts in good faith to provide veterinary medical services to a police service dog is not civilly liable. BILL’S PROVISIONS —— CONDITIONS. The care provider in furnishing aid to the police service dog must comply with a number of conditions. The care provider must first furnish aid to the last human at the scene of the emergency; must not use equipment, or discontinue the use of equipment, to furnish aid to a treat a police service dog if the equipment is needed to furnish aid to a human at the scene of the emergency or the equipment is dispatched to another location; and must not render aid to a police service dog, or must discontinue rendering aid, at the scene of an emergency, if the care provider is dispatched to another location or the vehicle used to transport the care provider is dispatched to another location. In addition, the police service dog cannot be transported in a vehicle that provides emergency medical or ambulance services.
From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Amendments adopted later aren’t reflected. Full bill text · What changed before it passed
House subcommittee
Named February 27, 2025. On March 5, 2025 it recommended passage.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
Iowa Code it changes
Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works
Lobbying
5 for · 0 against · 4 undecided · Who →
Family tree
Where this legislation came from and where it went: earlier tries, the versions it moved through this Assembly, and later bills built on it.
Earlier and later bills are matched by wording or an identical title; check the text to be sure it’s the same idea.
Tried before
This idea has been filed in an earlier General Assembly. None got through a chamber.
- SF 2296 Allowing police service dogs to receive emergency veterinary medical services while on dut…90th General Assembly · Approved by committee · same titleCleared committee
- SF 2031 Allowing police service dogs to receive emergency veterinary medical services while on dut…90th General Assembly · Renumbered as SF 2296 · same titleCleared committee
Matched by the wording of each bill’s explanation, or an identical title. Companion bills and renumbered versions of this bill aren’t listed; they’re the same bill.