[Njagdu] Next steps for Dusty's Law, protecting guide dog teams against attacks and interference
Vincent Chaney Jr.
vgc732 at optonline.net
Mon Mar 26 19:13:57 UTC 2012
Tracy,
If I remember the process, when Assemblyman Schroeder had joined the NJAGDU
meeting last fall, he said we needed to first introduce the bill into the
Assembly prior to bringing it to the NJ Senate.
Would anyone remember anything more or can comment on the procedures to the
legislative process...
Thank you...
Vinny
Vincent G Chaney Jr
732-251-8650
President, NFBNJ Diabetes Division
President, NFBNJ New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users
Vice President, NFBNJ Technology Division
Webmaster: nfbnj.org http://www.nfbnj.org
-----Original Message-----
From: njagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:njagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 9:07 AM
To: New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [Njagdu] Next steps for Dusty's Law, protecting guide dog teams
against attacks and interference
Has a senate bill been introduced? We need the same bill in both houses
to get it made into law.
Tracy
> To The NJAGDU Members,
>
>
>
> This is a FYI. I have included a message from Ginger which I received
> Sunday, March 25th and the one I sent on Wednesday to keep the history
> together. I also forwarded the text to Joe with the request to send to all
> on his NFBNJ email lists in New Jersey.
>
>
>
> Vinny
>
>
>
> From: Ginger Kutsch [mailto:GingerKutsch at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2012 7:58 PM
> To: 'Vincent Chaney Jr'
> Subject: Next steps for Dusty's Law, protecting guide dog teams against
> attacks and interference
>
>
>
> Vinny & Lynn,
>
>
>
> Assembly Bill 2728, Dusty's Law, has been referred to the Law and Public
> Safety committee. It needs to be scheduled for a hearing before it can
> move
> forward.
>
>
>
> Please encourage members to call or send an email to their legislators
> to
> ask that they support the bill, sign on to A2728 as a sponsor or
> co-sponsor,
> and encourage the chair of the Law and Public Safety committee to schedule
> A2728 for a hearing.
>
>
>
> You can find Your Legislator at
>
> http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp
>
> or call The Legislative Information and Bill Room at:
>
> toll-free number 800-792-8630
>
> (609) 292-4840
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ginger
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Brian Mackey [mailto:bmackey88 at gmail.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 6:17 PM
> To: Brian Mackey
> Subject: NFBNJ: Important Issue Dusty's Law new information, get involved!
>
>
>
> From the desk of Joe Ruffalo from Vincent Chaney.
>
>
>
> From: Vincent Chaney Jr. [ <mailto:vgc732 at optonline.net>
> mailto:vgc732 at optonline.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 4:08 PM
> To: <mailto:nfbnj at yahoo.com> nfbnj at yahoo.com
> Cc: <mailto:vgc732 at optonline.net> vgc732 at optonline.net
> Subject: NJ Guide Dog Users Request Support of "Dusty's Law"
>
>
>
> From the desk of Vincent G Chaney Jr, President, New Jersey Association of
> Guide Dog Users (NJAGDU):
>
>
>
> We, the New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users, support Assembly, No.
> 2728, designated as "Dusty's Law". We request all NFBNJ members, family,
> friends and New Jersey citizens to advocate for this bill to become law by
> contacting their two (2) Assembly-Persons today and senators when the bill
> is introduced in the senate. A follow-up message will be forwarded upon
> the
> introduction to the senate.
>
> Please let your Assembly-Persons know you support the bill, Assembly, No.
> 2728, and you are asking them to become a sponsor or co-sponsor. Please
> share this message with anyone without email to open this call to
> everyone.
>
>
>
> Should you not know who your Assembly-Persons or Senator are, you could do
> one of the following:
>
> 1. Call the Office of Legislative Services
>
> Office of Public Information
>
> Phone: 609-847-3905
>
> Toll Free: 800-792-8630
>
> 2. Contact your local library
>
> 3. Call your Town Hall
>
> 4. Click on the link:
> http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp
>
> On this page, look for your city/town by
> browsing through the District list or use a screen reader "find" to search
> for your town.
>
> The link above the list of towns within a
> district gives Senator and Assembly-Person names, phone numbers, address,
> etc. The link below the towns gives professional background information of
> each representative.
>
>
>
> I am including further descriptive summaries of the Assembly No. 2728 and
> conclude with the bill as introduced on March 15, 2012.
>
>
>
>
>
> A revision of a previous bill has been introduced into our State
>
> Assembly by Assemblyman Robert Schroeder. This bill essentially
>
> criminalizes attacks on guide dogs which may interfere with the work of
>
> the guide dogs or may cause injury or death to them. This law increases
>
> jail time to be served and/or fines to an individual who is found guilty
>
> and also includes restitution for vet bills, value of guide dog and costs
>
> to replace and train with a new guide dog.
>
>
>
> The bill is named Dusty's Law because a puppy raiser who lives in Bergen
>
> County was walking a puppy he was raising for the Seeing Eye named
>
> Dusty. The puppy raiser and the puppy were attacked by another dog. The
>
> puppy was injured physically and ultimately was not able to be trained
>
> to become a guide dog because of trauma, as well as the puppy raiser had
>
> suffered a permanent injury to his hand.
>
>
>
>
>
> Pasted below is the new version of "Dusty's Law". This is much stronger
>
> than the old version as this bill makes it a criminal offense for
>
> attacks/interference. Please contact your Assembly-persons to tell them
>
> you support this bill and ask them to sign on as a sponsor or
>
> co-sponsor. One of the most important pieces of this bill is that
>
> because it is now in the criminal code, the police will have to respond
>
> to a call. This gives us round-the-clock protection, not currently
> available
> through animal control.
>
>
>
> ASSEMBLY, No. 2728
>
>
>
>
>
> STATE OF NEW JERSEY
>
>
>
> 215th LEGISLATURE
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> INTRODUCED MARCH 15, 2012
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Sponsored by:
>
>
>
> Assemblyman ROBERT SCHROEDER
>
>
>
> District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> SYNOPSIS
>
>
>
> Establishes criminal penalties for killing, injuring or interfering
>
> with a guide dog; designated as "Dusty's Law."
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
>
>
>
> As introduced.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> An Act concerning offenses against guide dogs, designated as "Dusty's
>
> Law,"
>
> and supplementing chapter 29 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of
>
> New
>
> Jersey:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 1. a. Any person who recklessly kills a guide dog, or who
>
> recklessly permits a dog that the person owns or over which the person
>
> has immediate control, to injure or kill a guide dog, is guilty of a
>
> crime of the fourth degree.
>
>
>
> b. Any person who recklessly injures a guide dog, or recklessly
>
> permits a dog that the person owns or over which the person has
>
> immediate control, to injure a guide dog, is guilty of a disorderly
>
> persons offense.
>
>
>
> c. Any person who recklessly interferes with the use of a guide
>
> dog, or who recklessly permits a dog that the person owns or over which
>
> that person has immediate control, to interfere with a guide dog by
>
> obstructing, intimidating, or otherwise jeopardizing the safety of that
>
> guide dog or its handler is guilty of a petty disorderly persons
>
> offense.
>
>
>
> d. A person who is convicted of a violation of this section, in
>
> addition to any other penalty, shall make full restitution for all
>
> damages that arise out of or are related to the offense, including
>
> incidental and consequential damages incurred by the handler of the
>
> guide dog. Restitution under this section shall include, but not be
>
> limited to:
>
>
>
> (1) the value of the guide dog;
>
>
>
> (2) replacement and training or retraining expenses for the guide
>
> dog
>
> and the handler;
>
>
>
> (3) veterinary and other medical and boarding expenses for the
>
> guide
>
> dog;
>
>
>
> (4) medical expenses for the handler; and
>
>
>
> (5) lost wages or income incurred by the handler during any
>
> period
>
> that the handler is without the services of the guide dog.
>
>
>
> e. As used in this section a "guide dog" shall mean a dog or
>
> dog in
>
> training which:
>
>
>
> (1) has been or is being raised or trained by a volunteer puppy
>
> raiser or staff member of an organization generally recognized as being
>
> involved in the rehabilitation of the blind or deaf and reputable and
>
> competent to provide dogs with specialized training; or
>
>
>
> (2) fitted with a special harness so as to be suitable as an aid
>
> to
>
> the mobility of a blind person.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> STATEMENT
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> This bill would establish criminal penalties for killing, injuring,
>
> or interfering with a guide dog. The bill is to be known as "Dusty's
>
> Law."
>
>
>
> Specifically, the bill would make it a crime of the fourth degree
>
> for a person to recklessly kill a guide dog, or to recklessly permit a
>
> dog that he or she owns or has immediate control over, to kill a guide
>
> dog. Fourth degree crimes are punishable by a term of imprisonment of
>
> up to 18 months, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
>
>
>
> A person who recklessly injures a guide dog, or recklessly permits
>
> a dog that he or she owns or has immediate control over to injure a
>
> guide dog would be a disorderly person under the bill. Disorderly
>
> persons offenses are punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to six
>
> months, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
>
>
>
> A person who recklessly interferes with the use of a guide dog, or
>
> who recklessly permits a dog that he or she owns or over which he or she
>
> has immediate control to interfere with a guide dog, by obstructing,
>
> intimidating, or otherwise jeopardizing the safety of that guide dog or
>
> its handler is guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense. Petty
>
> disorderly persons offenses are punishable by a term of imprisonment of
>
> up to 30 days, a fine of up to $500, or both.
>
>
>
> The bill also requires a person who recklessly kills, injures, or
>
> interferes with a guide dog to pay restitution. Restitution under the
>
> bill includes the value of the guide dog; replacement and training or
>
> retraining expenses for the guide dog and the handler; veterinary and
>
> other medical and boarding expenses for the guide dog; medical expenses
>
> for the handler; and lost wages or income incurred by the handler during
>
> any period that the handler is without the services of the guide dog.
>
>
>
> The bill defines a "guide dog" as a dog, or dog in training, which
>
> (1) has been or is being raised or trained by a volunteer puppy raiser
>
> or staff member of an organization generally recognized as being
>
> involved in the rehabilitation of the blind or deaf and reputable and
>
> competent to provide dogs with specialized training; or (2) is fitted
>
> with a special harness so as to be suitable as an aid to the mobility of
>
> a blind person.
>
>
>
> A person acts "recklessly" with respect to a material element of an
>
> offense under this State's criminal code when he or she consciously
>
> disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the material
>
> element exists or will result from his or her conduct. The risk must be
>
> of such a nature and degree that, considering the nature and purpose of
>
> the person's conduct and the circumstances known to the person, its
>
> disregard involves a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a
>
> reasonable person would observe in the person's situation.
>
>
>
>
>
> Thank you for making the important calls to each of your two
>
> Assemblypersons.
>
>
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Vincent G Chaney Jr
>
> President, New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users
>
>
>
> Forwarded by:
>
>
>
> Brian A. Mackey
>
>
>
> Brian A. Mackey
>
> Mackey Enterprises LLC
>
> 609-953-6988
>
> <mailto:bmackey88 at gmail.com> bmackey88 at gmail.com
>
>
>
> "Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to make
> those dreams come true."
>
> - Vince Papale
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Vinny
>
> Vincent G Chaney Jr
>
> 732-251-8650
>
> President, NFBNJ Diabetes Division
>
> President, NFBNJ New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users
>
> Vice President, NFBNJ Technology Division
>
> Webmaster: nfbnj.org <http://www.nfbnj.org/> http://www.nfbnj.org
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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