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SF 296

A bill for an act allowing police service dogs to receive emergency veterinary medical services while on duty.

2025-2026 Regular Session

EMTs/paramedics may provide limited on-scene emergency veterinary care to severely injured on-duty police dogs to stabilize them for later veterinary treatment.

Signed by Governor.
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Bill Summary · SF 296

Summary — SF 296 (Signed May 6, 2025)

Title: Allowing police service dogs to receive emergency veterinary medical services while on duty

Purpose and intent

SF 296 authorizes emergency medical care providers (EMTs/paramedics) certified under Iowa Chapter 147A to elect to provide limited emergency veterinary medical services to severely injured police service dogs (K9s) that are on duty. The intent is to allow immediate stabilization of a badly injured police dog at an emergency scene so the animal can later be evaluated or treated by a licensed veterinarian.

Key statutory changes

  • Amends Code Section 147A.8 by adding a new subsection permitting certified emergency medical care providers to provide veterinary medical services by diagnosing or treating a severely injured police service dog as described in Section 169.4.
  • Adds new subsection 17 to Code Section 169.4 establishing:
    • Eligibility conditions: provider may act only when the dog was on duty under supervision of a peace officer (see §801.4), the dog suffered a “severe injury,” and the services are necessary to immediately stabilize the dog for later veterinary care (licensed veterinarian or valid temporary permit holder).
    • Voluntary: providers may decline to render such services.
    • Civil immunity: a certified emergency medical care provider who elects to provide these services is not civilly liable for diagnosing or treating the dog provided the provider acted reasonably and in good faith.
    • Operational limits and priorities:
    • A provider may treat the dog only after furnishing all diagnoses/treatment needed by the last human at the scene.
    • Providers must not use (or must discontinue use of) equipment to treat a dog if that equipment is needed for a human patient or is being/was dispatched elsewhere.
    • Treatment must stop if the provider or the provider’s transport vehicle is dispatched to another location.
    • Transport restriction: a severely injured police service dog shall not be transported in a vehicle that provides emergency medical or ambulance services.

Who is affected

  • Emergency medical care providers (EMTs/paramedics): granted optional authority to provide limited emergency veterinary stabilization, subject to prioritization and equipment/dispatch constraints, and given limited immunity.
  • Law enforcement agencies and police K9 units: gain the ability to have K9s stabilized at scenes when vets are not immediately available; must arrange non-ambulance transport for injured K9s.
  • Licensed veterinarians: remain responsible for definitive diagnosis and treatment; will receive stabilized animals for follow-up care.
  • Public/patients at scenes: protections ensure human medical needs remain the first priority.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Introduced: February 12, 2025.
  • Passed Senate: March 11, 2025 (47–0).
  • Passed House: April 21, 2025 (90–1).
  • Signed by Governor Kim Reynolds: May 6, 2025 — now enacted (Chapter 53).

Practical considerations

Implementation will likely require local EMS and law enforcement protocols addressing training, scope of permitted K9 interventions, equipment availability, interagency coordination, and arrangements for K9 transport that comply with the ambulance-transport prohibition.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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