TN: Tennessee
Summary: Tennessee passed the "Tennessee K-9 Emergency Medical Care and Transport Act" (HB1694/SB2069, Pub. Ch. 713, 2026), with ground and air transport and funding for EMS canine training. 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 per MED-TAC) / SB2069 (Sen. Bo Watson, plus co primes Campbell, Bailey, Bowling, Crowe, Gardenhire, Jackson, Pody, Reeves, Rose, Yager); 114th GA. Trained EMS may stabilize and transport injured "canine first responders" (police, military, detection, search and rescue) by ground or air when no human patient needs it. It includes a vet practice act carve out (§ 63-12-133(d)), good faith immunity and an EMS canine education program. Passed the House 94-0 on Apr. 2, 2026; signed Apr. 28, 2026; Pub. Ch. 713. The House sponsor's name comes from MED-TAC.
Retirement & service limits
- No statute was found.
Post retirement care
- None enacted. See HB1785 below. Nashville has a local ordinance on care benefits for retired canines (BL2012-250) [S; details not reviewed].
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