[NFBF-L] U.S. Department of Transportation Seeks Comment on Proposed Amendments to Regulation of Service Animals on Flights

[PLipovsky]

Forwarding FYI 

 


U.S. Department of Transportation Seeks Comment on Proposed Amendments to
Regulation of Service Animals on Flights


 

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that it
is seeking public comment on proposed amendments to its Air Carrier Access
Act (ACAA) regulation on the transportation of service animals by air.  

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Traveling by Air with Service
Animals can be found HERE and provides the public with 60 days to comment on
the proposed changes.

Today's NPRM is intended to ensure a safe and accessible air transportation
system. It addresses concerns raised by individuals with disabilities,
airlines, flight attendants, airports, other aviation transportation
stakeholders, and other members of the public, regarding service animals on
aircraft. The Department recognizes the integral role that service animals
play in the lives of many individuals with disabilities and wants to ensure
that individuals with disabilities can continue using their service animals
while also reducing the likelihood that passengers wishing to travel with
their pets on aircraft will be able to falsely claim their pets are service
animals. 

The NPRM proposes to: 
 

*       Define a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do
work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability;

*       No longer consider an emotional support animal to be a service
animal;

*       Consider a psychiatric service animal to be a service animal and
require the same training and treatment of psychiatric service animals as
other service animals;

*       Allow airlines to require forms developed by DOT attesting to a
service animal's good behavior, certifying the service animal's good health,
and if taking a long flight attesting that the service animal has the
ability to either not relieve itself, or can relieve itself in a sanitary
manner;

*       Allow airlines to require passengers with a disability who are
traveling with a service animal to check-in at the airport one hour prior to
the travel time required for the general public to ensure sufficient time to
process the service animal documentation and observe the animal;

*       Require airlines to promptly check-in passengers with service
animals who are subject to an advanced check-in process;

*       Allow airlines to limit the number of service animals traveling with
a single passenger with a disability to two service animals; 

*       Allow airlines to require a service animal to fit within its
handler's foot space on the aircraft;

*       Continue to allow airlines to require that service animals be
harnessed, leashed, tethered, or otherwise under the control of its handler;

*       Continue to allow airlines to refuse transportation to service
animals that exhibit aggressive behavior and that pose a direct threat to
the health or safety of others; and

*       Continue to prohibit airlines from refusing to transport a service
animal solely on the basis of breed.

Comments on the NPRM must be received within 60 days of the date the notice
is published.  The NPRM can be found at regulations.gov, docket number
DOT-OST-2018-0068.