[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2966 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 2966

  To authorize law enforcement agencies to make arrangements for the 
            compensation of officers in their canine units.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 1996

  Mr. Herger introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
          Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize law enforcement agencies to make arrangements for the 
            compensation of officers in their canine units.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Canine Unit Preservation Act of 
1996''.

SEC. 2. OVERTIME FOR OFFICERS IN CANINE UNITS.

    (a) Agreement.--The head of each law enforcement agency and fire 
department which has a canine unit may enter into an agreement with the 
officers assigned to such unit for the payment to such officers of 
overtime compensation in accordance with section 7 of the Fair Labor 
Standards Act of 1938 for the hours spent by such officers in the care 
and training of the dogs in such unit. Such an agreement shall be 
entered into before the expiration of 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act and shall be submitted to the Secretary of Labor 
for approval.
    (b) Exemption.--Beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, 
an officer assigned to a canine unit in a law enforcement agency or 
fire department shall not be paid such overtime compensation for hours 
spent by such officer in the care and training of the officer's dog in 
such unit until such date as an agreement authorized by subsection (a) 
has been entered into for such officer and approved under subsection 
(d) or 6 months from the date of the enactment of this Act has expired, 
whichever occurs first.
    (c) Guidelines.--Before the expiration of 90 days from the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall issue 
guidelines for the preparation of agreements authorized by subsection 
(a).
    (d) Approval.--The Secretary of Labor shall approve any agreement 
submitted to the Secretary under subsection (a) which is prepared in 
accordance with the guidelines issued under subsection (c). If such an 
agreement is approved by the Secretary payment of overtime compensation 
for an officer covered by such agreement shall be in accordance with 
such agreement.
                                 <all>