Florida Senate - 2021                                     SB 388
       
       
        
       By Senator Wright
       
       
       
       
       
       14-00252-21                                            2021388__
    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 licensed life support services to
    5         transport injured police canines under certain
    6         circumstances; authorizing a paramedic or an emergency
    7         medical technician to provide emergency medical care
    8         to injured police canines under certain circumstances;
    9         providing for immunity from criminal and civil
   10         liability under certain circumstances; amending s.
   11         474.203, F.S.; providing applicability; providing an
   12         effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 401.254, Florida Statutes, is created to
   17  read:
   18         401.254 Treatment of injured police canines.—
   19         (1) As used in this section, the term “police canine” means
   20  any canine that is owned, or the service of which is employed,
   21  by a state or local law enforcement agency, a correctional
   22  agency, a fire department, a special fire district, or the State
   23  Fire Marshal for the principal purpose of aiding in the
   24  detection of criminal activity, flammable materials, or missing
   25  persons; the enforcement of laws; the investigation of fires; or
   26  the apprehension of offenders.
   27         (2) A licensee with a valid permit for the transport
   28  vehicle may transport a police canine injured in the line of
   29  duty to a veterinary clinic, hospital emergency department, or
   30  similar facility if there is no individual requiring medical
   31  attention or transport at that time.
   32         (3) Notwithstanding s. 474.213, a paramedic or an emergency
   33  medical technician may provide emergency medical care to a
   34  police canine injured in the line of duty while at the scene of
   35  the emergency or while the police canine is being transported to
   36  a veterinary clinic, hospital emergency department, or similar
   37  facility. A paramedic or an emergency medical technician who
   38  acts in good faith to provide emergency medical care to an
   39  injured police canine is immune from criminal or civil
   40  liability.
   41         Section 2. Subsection (10) is added to section 474.203,
   42  Florida Statutes, to read:
   43         474.203 Exemptions.—This chapter does not apply to:
   44         (10) A paramedic or an emergency medical technician
   45  providing emergency medical care to a police canine injured in
   46  the line of duty as authorized under s. 401.254.
   47  
   48  For the purposes of chapters 465 and 893, persons exempt
   49  pursuant to subsection (1), subsection (2), or subsection (4)
   50  are deemed to be duly licensed practitioners authorized by the
   51  laws of this state to prescribe drugs or medicinal supplies.
   52         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.