(510 ILCS 81/25)

(This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a delayed effective date)

Sec. 25. Funding.

(a) Subject to appropriations made by the General Assembly from the Illinois Police K-9 Memorial Fund to the University of Illinois for implementation of this Act, the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois shall make grants to the not-for-profit corporation contracted by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois under Section 20 to be the disbursing authority for the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program. These funds must be disbursed to the former handler or the adopter of a retired police dog that served for 5 years or more as a police dog upon receipt of:

(1) valid documentation from the law enforcement agency or correctional agency from which the dog retired which verifies that the dog was in the service of or employed by that agency and that the dog served:

(A) 5 years or more with that agency;

(B) a total of 5 years or more with 2 or more law enforcement agencies or correctional agencies; or

(C) 3 years or more with one or more law enforcement agencies or correctional agencies and was injured in the line of duty while serving with a law enforcement agency or correctional agency and retired from the agency the dog was serving with at the time of the injury due to the injury; and

(2) a valid invoice from a veterinarian for veterinary care provided in this State to a retired police dog and documentation establishing payment of the invoice by the former handler or the adopter of the retired police dog.

(b) Annual disbursements to a former handler or an adopter to reimburse him or her for the cost of the retired police dog's veterinary care may not exceed $1,500 per dog. A former handler or an adopter of a retired police dog may not accumulate unused funds from a current year for use in a future year.

(c) A former handler or an adopter of a retired police dog who seeks reimbursement for veterinary care under this Act may not receive reimbursement if funds appropriated for the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program are depleted in the year for which the reimbursement is sought.

(Source: P.A. 104-276, eff. 1-1-26.)