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Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 5
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Print number 5495b
- Amend and recommit to investigations and government operations
- Print number 5495a
- Amend and recommit to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1122
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to service animals, guide dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs; repealer
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Michael Benedetto
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S5495B
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, the civil rights law, the agriculture and markets law, the transportation law and the public housing law, in relation to service animals, guide dogs, hearing dogs or service dogs; and to repeal certain provisions of the executive law relating thereto
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to update and provide clarity to state laws regarding people with disabilities and service animals.
Summary of provisions
This bill would amend the Human Rights Law to define the term "hearing dog" or "service dog" shall have the same meaning as those terms are defined in section forty-seven-b of the civil rights law.
"Service dog" means any dog under the control of the person using or training it and that has been or is being individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.
The bill would also clarify that a person engaged in training a dog to aid a person with a disability has the same rights and privileges as outlined in the Civil Rights Law as possessed by a person with a disability.
Furthermore, the requirements that guide dogs, hearing dogs, service dogs, and therapy dogs be owned and/or trained by a qualified person or dog training center would be removed and the requirement that such dogs be "properly harnessed" would be amended so that they would only have to be "under the control of" a person with a disability.
Finally, the requirement that a tenant who has a hearing dog must provide documentation of his or her impairment would be removed.
Justification
It is important to update and clarify New York State laws regarding service animals in order to reduce discrimination and allow those with disabilities to better function in a least restrictive environment. In addition, this bill brings New York State into compliance with federal laws on this topic.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.