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AB-1776 Emergency medical transport of police dogs: pilot project.(2017-2018)

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Date Published: 09/07/2018 04:00 AM
AB1776:v93#DOCUMENT

Assembly Bill No. 1776
CHAPTER 272

An act to add and repeal Section 1797.10 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to emergency medical services.

[ Approved by Governor  September 06, 2018. Filed with Secretary of State  September 06, 2018. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1776, Steinorth. Emergency medical transport of police dogs: pilot project.
Existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and the Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act, establishes the Emergency Medical Services Authority, among other things, to establish training standards for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) at various levels, including EMT-I, EMT-II, and EMT-P. Existing law requires each county that develops an emergency medical services program to designate a local emergency medical services agency to have primary responsibility for administration of emergency medical services in the county.
This bill would authorize the County of San Bernardino to work with the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency to conduct a pilot project, commencing January 1, 2019, that would authorize transportation for a police dog, as defined, injured in the line of duty to a facility that is capable of providing veterinary medical services to that dog, if certain conditions are met. The bill would require the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency to collect specified data about the pilot project and submit a report to the Legislature describing the data by January 1, 2022. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2022.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of San Bernardino.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NO   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 1797.10 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

1797.10.
 (a) The County of San Bernardino is authorized to work with the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency to conduct a pilot project, commencing January 1, 2019, that would authorize emergency transportation for a police dog injured in the line of duty to a facility that is capable of providing veterinary medical services to the injured police dog if all of the following conditions apply:
(1) A request for transport is made by the injured police dog’s canine handler.
(2) An ambulance is present at the scene of the injury at the time the request for transport is made.
(3) No person at the scene of the incident requires medical attention or medical transportation at the time the request for transport is made.
(4) The owner of the ambulance has a policy that permits the transport of an injured police dog.
(5) The canine handler accompanies the injured police dog and remains in full control of the dog during transport.
(6) The canine handler provides the location of the nearest facility that is capable of providing veterinary medical services to the injured police dog.
(7) The canine handler remains responsible for any first aid rendered to the injured police dog during transport.
(b) For purposes of this section, “police dog” means a dog being used by a peace officer in the discharge or attempted discharge of his or her duties and includes, but is not limited to, a search and rescue dog or a passive alert dog.
(c) (1) The Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency shall collect data on the number of police dogs transported pursuant to this section, the location where the police dogs were transported to, and the outcome of those transports.
(2) The Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency shall submit a report to the Legislature that includes the data described in paragraph (1) by January 1, 2022. The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2022, and as of that date is repealed.

SEC. 2.

 The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique needs of police dogs in the County of San Bernardino.