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House · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session

HB 990: Public Safety, Department of; creation of a program to assist former handlers and adopters of retired law enforcement dogs with veterinary care costs; provide

Last action March 25, 2026 · Senate Read Second Time

HB 990 would create a state grant program to help pay veterinary bills for retired Georgia law enforcement and correctional dogs, benefiting the former handlers, adopters, charities, and law enforcement foundations who care for them.

Read the full bill text

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The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Comm Sub version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.

In plain language

Currently, Georgia law does not have a dedicated program to help cover veterinary costs for police or corrections dogs after they retire from service. HB 990 fills in a previously reserved section of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council's code chapter to create such a program. The council would run a grant program that reimburses actual veterinary expenses, funded only through voluntary gifts, grants, and donations rather than direct state appropriations. The bill defines who and what qualifies: retired law enforcement dogs (those certified in detection, apprehension, or search and rescue work), charitable organizations that have held 501(c)(3) status for at least five years, and qualified law enforcement foundations. Reimbursement requires an application, proof the dog served with a law enforcement or correctional agency, and veterinarian documentation of care and payment. Grants are capped at $5,000 per dog per calendar year. The council can write rules to run the program. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.

What the bill does

  • Creates a grant program within the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to reimburse veterinary care costs for retired law enforcement dogs.
  • Limits funding sources to voluntary gifts, grants, donations, or contributions, meaning no direct state tax dollars are appropriated for the grants.
  • Caps reimbursement at $5,000 per dog per calendar year, regardless of how many people or organizations care for that dog.
  • Requires applicants to submit proof of the dog's prior service and a licensed veterinarian's documentation of the care and payment before receiving funds.
  • Defines key terms such as 'retired law enforcement dog,' 'charitable organization,' and 'qualified law enforcement foundation' to set eligibility boundaries.
  • Authorizes the council to write rules and procedures to administer the grant program, including application and monitoring processes.

Who it affects

Former police and corrections dog handlers, people who adopt retired law enforcement or corrections dogs, charitable organizations that support these dogs, qualified law enforcement foundations, and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, which would administer the new grant program.

Why it matters

Retired law enforcement dogs often need ongoing medical care because of the physical demands of their service, and that care can be costly for the people who take them in. This bill gives handlers, adopters, and supporting organizations a possible source of reimbursement, though funding depends entirely on voluntary donations rather than guaranteed state money.

Key provisions

  • Subsection (a) defines terms including 'charitable organization,' 'law enforcement agency,' 'retired law enforcement dog,' and 'veterinary care.'
  • Subsection (c) establishes the grant program and specifies it is funded only by voluntary gifts, grants, donations, or contributions, with no special benefit to contributors.
  • Subsection (c)(3) requires a grant application, agency documentation confirming the dog's service, and veterinarian documentation of care and payment before funds are disbursed.
  • Subsection (d)(3) caps grant disbursements at $5,000.00 per dog per calendar year.
  • Subsection (e) authorizes the council to adopt rules and regulations needed to run the program.
  • Section 2 sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law without signature.

From the bill

“disbursements to an applicant for the veterinary care of a retired law enforcement dog shall not exceed $5,000.00 per dog per calendar year”

Sets the annual cap on how much veterinary reimbursement a dog's caretaker can receive.

“provided that such contributions are voluntary and no contributor to the grant program receives any special privilege, consideration, or benefit”

Requires that the grant program's funding come only from voluntary donations with no favors for donors.

Discussed in meetings (10)

The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.

  1. House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, February 25, 2026

    From 0:40:05 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute incorporating input from the governor’s office and the first lady’s policy team. The sponsor said it would establish a veterinary care program through the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, working with charitable organizations to provide grants for retired law enforcement dogs. The sponsor described Florida’s program as the model and said Georgia’s restrictions on government gifts required a nonprofit partnership. The sponsor said former handlers commonly adopt these dogs and can face substantial veterinary expenses. A member asked how many retired dogs might qualify and whether assistance was capped at $5,000 per animal annually. The sponsor did not provide a count or directly confirm that amount, but said assistance would be limited by available funding, state appropriations would not be automatic, and private support was expected. The chair reported support from sheriff representatives. The committee approved the substitute by voice vote, with no opposing response recorded.

  2. House Rules Committee, March 2, 2026

    From 1:02:29 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 990 would establish a structure combining private and public money to support veterinary care for law enforcement dogs. The sponsor said the proposal drew on a Florida model. No questions or decision followed.

  3. House Rules Committee, March 4, 2026

    From 1:54:05 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed HB 990 on the day's floor calendar under modified rules without opposition. Its provisions were not discussed.

  4. House floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27, AM)

    From 2:24:51 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1844

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 990 would establish a program using private money through the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to help with major veterinary expenses for retired law enforcement dogs. The sponsor said it was modeled on Florida legislation passed in 2022 and that the governor's policy team helped develop the substitute. No members asked questions. The House adopted the committee substitute and passed the bill, 171 to 0.

  5. Senate Public Safety Committee, March 23, 2026

    From 1:28:55 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: With the sponsor absent, the chair presented HB 990. The chair said it would establish a fund through the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to help retired law enforcement dogs, which typically remain with their handlers. The chair said individuals and charities could donate and that no state tax dollars would be used. No substantive questions or amendments were raised. Members made and seconded a motion to approve the bill and voted by voice. The chair questioned an apparent opposing vote, followed by joking remarks, but did not clearly announce whether the motion passed.

Status timeline

  1. 2026-03-25Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
  2. 2026-03-25Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
  3. 2026-03-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
  4. 2026-03-04House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
  5. 2026-03-04House Third Readers (House)
  6. 2026-02-26House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
  7. 2026-01-27House Second Readers (House)
  8. 2026-01-16House First Readers (House)
Show full history (9 actions)
  1. 2026-01-15House Hopper (House)

Sponsors

  • Steven Sainz (R, HD-180)Primary sponsor
  • Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
  • Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
  • Soo Hong (R, HD-103)
  • Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
  • Imani Barnes (D, HD-86)
  • Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-32)

Votes

  1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2026

    171 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 5 excused)

    PASSAGE: House Vote #610

Topics

  • law enforcement K9s
  • veterinary care funding
  • public safety grants
  • animal welfare
  • Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

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Machine-readable https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb990.md · https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md · MCP https://mcp.georgiacommons.org/mcp