[Wasagdu] another bill

[Becky Frankeberger]

<http://postonpolitics.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2015/03/30/fake-service-dog-bi
ll-passes-house/>
http://postonpolitics.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2015/03/30/fake-service-dog-bil
l-passes-house/

24

A bill that makes it a misdemeanor to pass your pooch off as a service dog
passed the House on Friday and has its first committee stop in the Senate
this afternoon.
<https://cmgpbppostonpolitics.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/11074822_101531632
49367241_121988201_n.jpg> 

 <https://cmgpbppostonpolitics.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/hb-71.pdf> HB 71
received a unanimous vote on the House floor on Friday, after breezing
through three committees with unanimous votes.

The bill is the second attempt by Rep. Jimmie Smith, R-Inverness, who said
he filed this year's bill after he was approached by disability rights
groups about the increase in pet owners misrepresenting their pets as
service animals to gain entry into restaurants, supermarkets, retail stores,
hotels and other public places. Last year's bill failed when it was not
called up for a committee hearing.

This year's bill makes it a second-degree misdemeanor to misrepresent a dog
as a service animal and also a second-degree misdemeanor to harass disabled
persons with a service animals about their disability and need for the dog.
During the bill's final hearing in the House, a disabled veteran with PTSD
and shrapnel in his back said because his wounds cannot be seen he is often
challenged about his disabilities and need for his dog

Although much of the bill reiterates rights and rules included in the
Americans with Disabilities Act, in also makes misrepresenting your pet as a
service animal or harassing a disabled person with a service dog a
second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by 30 hours of community service for
an organization that assists the disabled or other group decided by a judge.
The community service must be completed within six months.

"It's so easy to basically defraud the system," Smith said. "All you have to
do is buy a vest or tags and when you're challenged you say, "talk to my
lawyer.""

To combat that defense, Smith's bill also includes two questions that
businesses can ask: Is the animal a a service animal required because of a
disability? What tasks has the animal been trained to perform?

A amendment to the Senate version of the bill,
<https://cmgpbppostonpolitics.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/0414.pdf> SB 414,
filed on Friday brings the bill closer to the House bill. Today's hearing at
4 p.m. will be broadcast life on  <http://thefloridachannel.org/> The
Florida Channel.

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