HF 490 Iowa House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

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

HF 490 allows certified emergency medical care providers (e.g., EMTs) to provide immediate veterinary care to severely injured police service dogs while on duty, under specific conditions. It requires providers to prioritize treating humans first, not divert equipment or personnel needed for human emergencies, and avoid transporting dogs in emergency medical vehicles. The bill protects providers from civil liability if they act reasonably and in good faith while following these rules. This directly affects police departments, emergency responders, and the well-being of police dogs during critical incidents.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 20, 2025 Last action Mar 5, 2025
Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
3
Committee
3
Mar 5, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Subcommittee recommends passage.
legislature
Mar 4, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Subcommittee Meeting: 03/05/2025 12:45PM RM 19.
legislature
Feb 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee: Wheeler, Holt and Srinivas.
lower
Feb 20, 2025
Introduced
Introduced, referred to Judiciary.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Eric Gjerde
Eric Gjerde
DDemocratic
IA
74