What's happening
This bill eliminates certain licensing surcharges for guide, service, and other working dogs in New York.
Why it matters
Reduces financial barriers for people who rely on working dogs. By eliminating both standard licensing fees and additional surcharges for guide, service, therapy, and other working dogs, the bill makes it more affordable for individuals who need these animals for assistance and support.
Supports greater accessibility and independence for disabled and vulnerable populations. Lowering or removing costs for essential service animals can help ensure that people who need these dogs are not deterred by recurring fees, directly improving their quality of life and ability to participate in the community.
Recognizes the special status and societal value of working dogs. The bill acknowledges the unique role that guide, service, detection, and therapy dogs play, not only for their handlers but for public safety and well-being, by formally exempting them from fees that apply to ordinary pet dogs.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Remove Service Dog Fees
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
319
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to eliminating certain surcharges for licensing certain service dogs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 110 of the agriculture and markets law, as added by section 5 of part T of chapter 59 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
2. Municipalities may exempt from [their] the licensing fees imposed by subdivision one of this section and the surcharge imposed by subdivision three of this section any guide dog, hearing dog, service dog, war dog, working search dog, detection dog, police work dog or therapy dog. Each copy of any license for such dogs shall be conspicuously marked "Guide Dog", "Hearing Dog", "Service Dog", "Working Search Dog", "War Dog", "Detection Dog", "Police Work Dog", or "Therapy Dog", as may be appropriate, by the clerk or authorized dog control officer.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01399-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to eliminating certain surcharges for licensing certain service dogs
Purpose
To allow municipalities to waive the $1 or $3 surcharge charged for licensing a dog when that dog is of the working class variety.
Summary of provisions
Amends Agricultural and Markets Subdivision 2 of section 110 to allow municipalities to waive the $1 or $3 surcharge charged for licensing a dog when that dog is of the working class variety.
Section 2 id the effective date.
Justification
Guide dogs, hearing dogs, service dogs, working search dogs, war dogs, detection dogs, police work dog, or therapy dogs currently are treated the same as pets when it comes to being charged this animal population control surcharge. These working dogs are exactly that working dogs, and not family pets. They have to go through rigorous and expensive training to achieve these working designations, to treat them as such when attaching surcharges is wrong. Animal Control efforts are an important role our local jurisdictions are tasked with. However, the limited amount of revenue raised by extending this surcharge to working dogs is better off kept in the pockets of those owners of these dogs.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
None to the state.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on January 1st next succeeding.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.