Posted: | January 16, 2014 03:57 PM |
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From: | Senator Andrew E. Dinniman |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Tax Credits and Military Pet Foster |
I will soon introduce legislation to assist those who care for the pets of Pennsylvanians on active duty in the military. My bill helps expand these foster-pet arrangements because the men and women who risk their lives for us deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing their pets are in good hands. Several Pennsylvania non-profit organizations match up the pets of departing military with homes that can care for them. These organizations do wonderful work but tell me their mission would be greatly aided if foster families could partially offset the significant cost involved in caring for a pet for several months or years. My bill would provide eligible, approved pet foster homes a $100 Pa. income tax credit for each three consecutive months of free foster care provided to the pet of a Pennsylvanian service member on active duty. The maximum tax credit a provider will receive is $400 a year, and my bill caps the program’s tax credits at $100,000 annually. The Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement will work with pet foster care organizations to establish the criteria used by pet foster care organizations when deciding if a prospective home will be a good pet foster home, with such criteria including the home’s history of pet-ownership, personal references, and the home’s condition and appropriateness for pet ownership. To receive the tax credit, the agreement between a pet foster home and member of the military must be arranged through a pet foster care organization registered with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations. |
Introduced as SB1245