[nagdu] Fw: Proposed Act Regarding Service Dogs from the state of Maine.

Sun Mar 1 17:30:46 UTC 2015

Yeek. So if I ever get out to visit my sister-in-law who recently moved 
to Maine, I guess I can plan on hassles if this passes? Cheery thought. 
Cheerier thought is that there are some folks agitating to have 
something very like this put into Oregon law. Who are they? Guide dog 
users! I don't get it. At this point, they haven't gotten much play and 
seem to be cooling their heels on it. Whew! The notion that legislators 
have been "gotten to" as a reason for the holdup is somewhat troubling, 
but ... Then again, if I could find out who is getting to legislators 
with such success, I would happily join them! /lol/

So... If person A with a dog from a certified training program can 
submit the paperwork they got from said program along with dog -- all 
without cost or with very little from them -- and person B has to pay 
for a temperament test from a certified trainer, along with paying for 
own transportation and all because they acquired and trained their own 
service dog, what would that be called? Hm...???? I did not see anything 
in the bill about how the costs are to be addressed so that these 
requirements do not present an undue burden, but maybe I just overlooked 
that part. /cynical snort/

Well, this is not all that unexpected, given the campaign of articles 
and petitions and all. Sigh. We'll just have to see where it leads, 
since it seems it's taken on a life of its own. If something could be 
done to ease the pressures caused by badly behaved dogs in public that 
wouldn't toss the burden onto the users of service dogs -- supposedly in 
order to protect us -- I think that would be great. If my doing/paying 
extra with my owner-trained guide would be part of a useful solution, 
and if I was not paying something the recipients of free dogs from 
programs were not paying -- I would be fine with it. However... Bah! 
'Nuff said.

Tami

On 03/01/2015 08:36 AM, Sherry Gomes via nagdu wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I got this off another list. Another state trying to diminish our rights.
>
> Below is the text of a bill that is being presented to the state of Maine legislature in the near future.  Again, this is very concerning, much like the recent Arizona bill that failed.  If states keep presenting bill’s such as these, I’m afraid one will get passed and negatively impact the rights of legitimate service dog teams.
>
>
>
> 127th MAINE LEGISLATURE
>
> FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2015
>
> Legislative Document No. 547
>
> H.P.
>
> 371 House of Representatives, February 26, 2015
>
> An Act Regarding Service Dogs
>
> Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and
>
> ordered printed.
>
> 49
>
> ROBERT B. HUNT
>
> Clerk
>
> Presented by Representative CAMPBELL of Orrington. (BY REQUEST)
>
> Cosponsored by Senator SAVIELLO of Franklin and
>
> Representatives: DOORE of Augusta, LAJOIE of Lewiston, MAKER of Calais, NADEAU of
>
> Winslow, STANLEY of Medway, TUELL of East Machias.
>
> Printed on recycled paper
>
>
>
> table with 2 columns and 33 rows
>
> 1
>
> Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
>
> 2
>
> Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §3922, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2007, c. 664, §11, is further
>
> 3
>
> amended to read:
>
> 4
>
> 4. Service dogs. If a service dog has not been previously registered or licensed by
>
>
>
> the municipal clerk to whom the application is being made, the clerk may not register the
>
> 6
>
> dog nor issue to its owner or keeper a license and tag that identifies the dog as a service
>
> 7
>
> dog unless the applicant presents written evidence to the municipal clerk that the dog
>
> 8
>
> meets the definition of "service dog." For the purpose of this subsection "written
>
> 9
>
> evidence" means a service dog certification form approved by the department in
>
>
>
> consultation with the Maine Human Rights Commission. The service dog certification
>
> 11
>
> form must include a letter signed by a physician, psychologist, physician assistant or
>
> 12
>
> nurse practitioner indicating that the owner or keeper or a member of the owner's or
>
> 13
>
> keeper's household requires the service dog and a certification or other document
>
> 14
>
> indicating that the service dog has completed training from an established service animal
>
>
>
> training organization or has been evaluated by a certified animal trainer and found to have
>
> 16
>
> a sound temperament suitable for a service dog.
>
> 17
>
> Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §3923-B, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
>
> 18
>
> 1-A. Service dog registration tag. In accordance with subsection 1, the department
>
> 19
>
> shall ensure that, with regard to the registration and licensing of a service dog, the service
>
>
>
> dog's registration tag clearly indicates that the dog is a service animal pursuant to Title 5,
>
> 21
>
> section 4553, subsection 9-E. The department shall devise a method of ensuring that a
>
> 22
>
> service dog's registration tag is clearly visible to the public.
>
> 23
>
> SUMMARY
>
> 24
>
> This bill requires that an individual registering a service dog present to the municipal
>
>
>
> clerk a letter signed by a physician, psychologist, physician assistant or nurse practitioner
>
> 26
>
> indicating that the individual or a member of the individual's household requires the
>
> 27
>
> service dog and a certification or other document indicating that the service dog has
>
> 28
>
> completed training from an established service animal training organization or has been
>
> 29
>
> evaluated by a certified animal trainer and found to have a sound temperament suitable
>
>
>
> for a service dog. It also requires the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and
>
> 31
>
> Forestry to ensure that the registration tag of a service dog clearly indicates that the dog is
>
> 32
>
> a service animal and to devise a method of ensuring that a service dog's registration tag is
>
> 33
>
> visible to the public.
>
> table end
>
>
>
> Page 1 -127LR0304(01)-1
>
>
>
>
>
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