Agencies would follow standards for training comfort dogs

Emergency response and public safety agencies would certify facility comfort dogs and their handlers under the listed standards. A facility comfort dog is an agency-owned dog that supports people during stress, trauma, or crisis; it is not a service dog or emotional support animal. The dog would need the required certifications and ongoing training. The handler would need mental health first aid, dog first aid, several canine certificates, ongoing training, and regular exposure to emergency or public safety settings. The agency would need to keep detailed training records. The chapter would take effect 60 days after passage, if enacted.

The agency owning a facility comfort dog would follow specified care and safety rules. The rules would cover facility comfort dogs during their service career, including travel, deployment, health problems, retirement, and transfer of ownership. The agency would follow licensing, vaccination, and rabies rules and fully insure the dog. The dog could not eat raw food, be bred, or use prong or electronic collars or head halters during testing or deployment. The dog would need confinement when traveling faster than 55 miles per hour, and an unattended vehicle would need a remote temperature sensor. An agency or handler would need a policy for retirement, health issues, and ownership transfer. These requirements would apply after the chapter takes effect, 60 days after passage if enacted.

Agencies would limit trainer access and clearly identify each comfort dog and handler. The rules would cover trainers attending public or critical incident events and all facility comfort dogs and their handlers. A trainer would need psychological first aid certification to attend a public or critical incident event with the dog and handler. The trainer could attend only with an agency representative and would have no more access than the general public otherwise. The dog and handler would need unique patches, and a central system would track the dog's identity, deployment, and care. These requirements would apply after the chapter takes effect, 60 days after passage if enacted.