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

Marianne Denning marianne at denningweb.com
Mon Mar 2 15:08:58 UTC 2015


Marion, you are exactly right.  That is why I think we need to
research this a little more before we jump to conclusions.  Does Maine
have a NAGDU affiliate?

On 3/2/15, Marion Gwizdala <blind411 at verizon.net> wrote:
> Marianne,
>
> 	If this is the case, the exemption from paying a tax is not a civil right;
> rather, it is a eax concession for which the jurisdiction has the right to
> require documentation as a condition of granting the concession.
>
> Marion Gwizdala
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Marianne Denning
> via nagdu
> Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2015 6:50 PM
> To: Sherry Gomes; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
> Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: Proposed Act Regarding Service Dogs from the state
> of Maine.
>
> I did a little research and here is what I think is going on here.
> Many states require everyone to purchase a yearly tag to own a dog.
> Many states allow people who own service dogs to register them as a service
> animal and there is no annual fee involved.  It is not mandatory that anyone
> register a service animal as such, but if you do not, then you need to pay
> for the dog tag every year.  If you want to register your dog in the state
> of Maine as a service animal and avoid paying the annual tag fee then you
> must have proof it is a service animal.  No one can just claim it as such.
> If this is the case, then I don't have a problem with the proposed change to
> the law. I think we need to gather more information before we react to this
> proposed change.  If I am wrong then I will also be against this
> legislation.
>
> On 3/1/15, Sherry Gomes via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 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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>
>
> --
> Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
> Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
> (513) 607-6053
>
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>


-- 
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053




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