(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(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2022, and as of that date is repealed.

(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 272, Sec. 1. (AB 1776) Effective January 1, 2019. Repealed as of January 1, 2022, by its own provisions.)