S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  1652

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 12, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. ABINANTI, MOSLEY, McDONOUGH -- Multi-Sponsored by
  --  M. of A. MOYA, ROBINSON -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Transportation

AN ACT to amend the transportation law and  the  civil  rights  law,  in
  relation  to  allowing  therapy dogs to enter public places and public
  transportation

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. Section 147 of the transportation law, as amended by chap-
ter 536 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
  S 147. Dogs accompanying persons with a disability. 1. Subject to such
rules and regulations as the commissioner may prescribe, all common  and
contract  carriers  of  passengers by motor vehicle shall permit a guide
dog, hearing dog or service dog as defined in section  forty-seven-b  of
the civil rights law, OR A THERAPY DOG AS DEFINED IN SECTION FORTY-SEVEN
OF  THE  CIVIL  RIGHTS  LAW, accompanying a person with a disability, as
defined in subdivision twenty-one of section two hundred  ninety-two  of
the  executive  law,  OR AN OWNER OR HANDLER OF SUCH DOGS OR SUCH PERSON
LICENSED TO TRAIN SUCH DOGS, to accompany, to guide, or otherwise to aid
such DISABLED person, to ride on all vehicles operated  for  transporta-
tion and no charge shall be made for the transportation of such dog.
  2. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "THERAPY DOG" SHALL MEAN ANY DOG THAT
IS CERTIFIED AND TRAINED TO WORK OR PERFORM SPECIFIC TASKS FOR THE BENE-
FIT  OF  PERSONS  INCLUDING  THOSE  WITH  SPECIAL  NEEDS,  AUTISM,  DRUG
ADDICTION, DISTRESS DUE TO EMOTIONAL AND  PHYSICAL  ABUSE  AND  CLINICAL
DEPRESSION  OR  BIPOLAR  DISEASE  BY  A  RECOGNIZED THERAPY DOG TRAINING
CENTER OR PROFESSIONAL THERAPY DOG TRAINER AND IS ACTUALLY USED FOR SUCH
PURPOSE.
  S 2. Subdivision 1 of section 47 of the civil rights law,  as  amended
by chapter 404 of the laws of 1986, is amended to read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04349-02-5

              

A. 1652                             2

  1. (A) No person shall be denied admittance to and/or the equal use of
and  enjoyment  of  any  public facility solely because said person is a
person with a disability and is accompanied by a guide dog, hearing  dog
[or],  service  dog OR THERAPY DOG OR IS AN OWNER OR HANDLER OF SUCH DOG
OR OTHERWISE A PERSON LICENSED TO TRAIN SUCH DOGS.
  (B)  FOR  PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, "THERAPY DOG" SHALL MEAN ANY DOG
THAT IS CERTIFIED AND TRAINED TO WORK OR PERFORM SPECIFIC TASKS FOR  THE
BENEFIT  OF  PERSONS  INCLUDING  THOSE  WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, AUTISM, DRUG
ADDICTION, DISTRESS DUE TO EMOTIONAL AND  PHYSICAL  ABUSE  AND  CLINICAL
DEPRESSION  OR  BIPOLAR  DISEASE  BY  A  RECOGNIZED THERAPY DOG TRAINING
CENTER OR PROFESSIONAL THERAPY DOG TRAINER AND IS ACTUALLY USED FOR SUCH
PURPOSE.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.