An Act to Provide Health Care Cost Reimbursement for Retired Law Enforcement Canines

Vet reimbursements for retired law enforcement dogs

Maine residents who handled or adopted an eligible retired law enforcement dog can get help paying documented vet bills. Covered care includes preventive care, illness or injury treatment, medicine, and surgery needed to maintain the dog's quality of life. The dog must have recognized certification and have been trained and deployed in state law enforcement. It must no longer serve any state or local agency. It must have served at least five years with state agencies, unless it retired earlier for a veterinarian-diagnosed medical condition. An early medical retirement needs approval from the dog's last agency head. Applicants must send the Department of Public Safety a completed application, a Maine-licensed veterinarian's diagnosis, and proof of expenses. Fund payments are limited to $5,000 per dog over its lifetime and depend on available appropriations. Agency heads can approve additional payments from their own authorized budgets, with no dollar cap, including when state appropriations fall short. The law provides $0 for budget year 2025–26 and $500 for 2026–27 to establish the fund. The fund can also receive private donations, grants, endowments, and state law enforcement fines or fees allocated by the Legislature. Public Safety keeps the fund separate, credits its interest, and carries unused money forward. The department must set rules for applications, payments, fair distribution, and payment records.