HYANNIS – State Representative Will Crocker has joined fellow Republican State Representatives Tim Whelan and David Vieira in asking the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing that Nero’s Bill be reported favorably out of committee.
Nero’s Bill aims to ensure that police K9 dogs receive the same level of care that their human partners receive.
Crocker is optimistic that the bill will continue to make progress throughout the State House.
“It’s just another step in the legislative process to be able to get this onto the floor of the House for debate, and then onto the Senate,” he said.
The bill is named after Yarmouth Police Sergeant Sean Gannon’s K9.
Gannon died in the line of duty in 2018. Nero also received life-threatening injuries.
Current state law only allows for veterinary professionals, not emergency personnel, to provide care to working police dogs.
Crocker believes that if adopted, the bill would give K9 officers peace of mind.
“It would, I think, give a sense of ease to the owners of the K9 dogs, police officers,” he said, “because those K9s become part of their family, on-duty and off-duty.”
Nero’s Bill could go to a number of different committees if it’s reported favorably by the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing.
Crocker is hoping to get the bill in front of the Committee on Bills in the Third Reading, in order to get it closer to the floor for debate.
Crocker thanked those in and out of the law enforcement community for their support of Nero’s Bill.
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