Florida Senate - 2020                                     SB 842
       
       
        
       By Senator Wright
       
       
       
       
       
       14-00561-20                                            2020842__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to injured police canines; creating s.
    3         401.254, F.S.; defining the term “police canine”;
    4         authorizing life support services to transport injured
    5         police canines under certain circumstances;
    6         authorizing a paramedic or an emergency medical
    7         technician to provide emergency medical care to
    8         injured police canines under certain circumstances;
    9         providing immunities; amending s. 474.203, F.S.;
   10         providing applicability; providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 401.254, Florida Statutes, is created to
   15  read:
   16         401.254 Treatment of injured police canines.—
   17         (1) As used in this section, the term “police canine” means
   18  any canine that is owned, or the service of which is employed,
   19  by a state or local law enforcement agency, a correctional
   20  agency, a fire department, a special fire district, or the State
   21  Fire Marshal for the principal purpose of aiding in the
   22  detection of criminal activity, flammable materials, or missing
   23  persons; enforcement of laws; investigation of fires; or
   24  apprehension of offenders.
   25         (2) A licensee with a valid permit for its transport
   26  vehicle may transport a police canine injured in the line of
   27  duty to a veterinary clinic, hospital emergency department, or
   28  similar facility if there is no individual requiring medical
   29  attention or transport at that time.
   30         (3) Notwithstanding s. 474.213, a paramedic or an emergency
   31  medical technician may provide emergency medical care to a
   32  police canine injured in the line of duty while at the scene of
   33  the emergency or while the police canine is being transported to
   34  a veterinary clinic, hospital emergency department, or similar
   35  facility. A paramedic or an emergency medical technician who
   36  acts in good faith to provide emergency medical care to an
   37  injured police canine is immune from criminal or civil
   38  liability.
   39         Section 2. Subsection (9) is added to section 474.203,
   40  Florida Statutes, to read:
   41         474.203 Exemptions.—This chapter does not apply to:
   42         (9) A paramedic or an emergency medical technician
   43  providing emergency medical care to a police canine injured in
   44  the line of duty as authorized under s. 401.254.
   45  
   46  For the purposes of chapters 465 and 893, persons exempt
   47  pursuant to subsection (1), subsection (2), or subsection (4)
   48  are deemed to be duly licensed practitioners authorized by the
   49  laws of this state to prescribe drugs or medicinal supplies.
   50         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.