TN: Tennessee
Summary: Tennessee passed the "Tennessee K-9 Emergency Medical Care and Transport Act" (HB1694/SB2069, Pub. Ch. 713, 2026), which lets EMS personnel transport and give emergency care to police and other working dogs injured in the line of duty, with immunity. Killing or seriously injuring a police dog or horse is a Class D felony (§ 39-14-219). A 2016 bill to pay $85 a month for retired Highway Patrol K9 medical care (HB1785/SB2191) passed the Senate 26-0 but died in House Finance.
Body armor
- None found.
Medical & insurance
- Tennessee K-9 Emergency Medical Care and Transport Act: HB1694 (Rep. Michele Reneau) / SB2069 (Sen. Bo Watson, plus cosponsors Campbell, Bailey, Bowling, Crowe, Gardenhire, Jackson, Pody, Reeves, Rose, Yager); 114th GA. EMS personnel may transport an injured "canine first responder" (a police, military, detection or search and rescue dog) to a vet when no person needs care or transport, and give it emergency care on scene or on the way. Doing so is not the unauthorized practice of veterinary medicine, and EMS personnel acting in good faith are immune from liability. The Senate amendment that became law removed a required training program. Passed the Senate 31-0 on Mar. 26 and the House 94-0 on Apr. 2, 2026; signed Apr. 16, 2026 (Pub. Ch. 713). Bill page
Retirement & service limits
- No statute was found.
Post retirement care
- None enacted. See HB1785 below.
Penalties for harming police animals
- T.C.A. § 39-14-219, Knowing killing or injuring of a police dog, fire dog, search and rescue dog, service animal, or police horse. Knowingly and unlawfully killing one, or causing it serious bodily injury, is a Class D felony. The imminent danger justification doesn't apply to someone trespassing or committing or fleeing a crime.
- § 39-14-205 also counts a police dog's or horse's training cost in its value for property crime grading.
Pending or failed bills
- HB1785 (Rep. Moody) / SB2191 (Sen. Crowe), 109th GA (2016). Would have created T.C.A. § 4-7-117: the Department of Safety pays $85 a month to a Highway Patrol officer (active or retired) caring for a retired THP canine, only for its medical care, with yearly medical records and notice when the dog dies. Effective date would have been July 1, 2016. SB2191 passed the Senate 26-0 (Mar. 24, 2016). HB1785 was "placed behind the budget" in the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee and taken off notice, so it died.
Sources
- HB1694 (114th GA): https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=hb1694&ga=114 ; text: https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB1694.pdf
- HB1785 (109th GA): https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=HB1785&ga=109 ; text: https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/109/Bill/HB1785.pdf
- § 39-14-219: https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-39/chapter-14/part-2/section-39-14-219/
- Nashville BL2012-250: https://legisarchive.nashville.gov/mc/ordinances/term_2011_2015/bl2012_250.htm
- MED-TAC 2026 survey: https://tactical-medicine.com/blogs/news/k9-ems-state-by-state-legal-landscape-2026-nero-law-tennessee-federal
Listing a bill or sponsor here does not mean they support the ARC Act.