| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to service animals; amending s. 413.08, |
| 3 | F.S.; expanding the definition of "service animal" to |
| 4 | include any animal that is in the process of being trained |
| 5 | or being raised for the purpose of being trained at a |
| 6 | future date to perform tasks for an individual with a |
| 7 | disability; providing that any person who is raising an |
| 8 | animal for the purpose of future training as a service |
| 9 | animal has the same rights and privileges with respect to |
| 10 | access to public facilities and the same liability for |
| 11 | damage as is provided for persons accompanied by service |
| 12 | animals; providing that such rights and privileges extend |
| 13 | to a volunteer who raises puppies for the purpose of |
| 14 | future training as service animals if certain conditions |
| 15 | are met; providing an effective date. |
| 16 |
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| 17 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 18 |
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| 19 | Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) and subsection |
| 20 | (8) of section 413.08, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 21 | 413.08 Rights of an individual with a disability; use of a |
| 22 | service animal; discrimination in public employment or housing |
| 23 | accommodations; penalties.-- |
| 24 | (1) As used in this section and s. 413.081, the term: |
| 25 | (d) "Service animal" means any an animal that is trained, |
| 26 | in the process of being trained, or being raised for the purpose |
| 27 | of being trained at a future date to perform tasks for an |
| 28 | individual with a disability. The tasks may include, but are not |
| 29 | limited to, guiding a person who is visually impaired or blind, |
| 30 | alerting a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, pulling a |
| 31 | wheelchair, assisting with mobility or balance, alerting and |
| 32 | protecting a person who is having a seizure, retrieving objects, |
| 33 | or performing other special tasks. A service animal is not a |
| 34 | pet. |
| 35 | (8)(a) Any trainer of a service animal, while engaged in |
| 36 | the training of such an animal, including any person who is |
| 37 | raising an animal for the purpose of future training as a |
| 38 | service animal, has the same rights and privileges with respect |
| 39 | to access to public facilities and the same liability for damage |
| 40 | as is provided for those persons described in subsection (3) |
| 41 | accompanied by service animals. |
| 42 | (b) Any volunteer who raises puppies for the purposes of |
| 43 | future training as service animals has the same rights and |
| 44 | privileges with respect to access to public facilities and the |
| 45 | same liability for damage as is provided for those persons |
| 46 | described in subsection (3) accompanied by service animals if: |
| 47 | 1. Such animal is held on a leash or is otherwise |
| 48 | restrained and remains under the control of the volunteer |
| 49 | training or raising such animal; |
| 50 | 2. The volunteer training or raising such animal has on |
| 51 | his or her person, and available for inspection, credentials |
| 52 | from the accredited school for which the animal is being raised; |
| 53 | and |
| 54 | 3. Such animal is wearing a collar, leash, or other |
| 55 | appropriate apparel or device identifying the animal with the |
| 56 | accredited school for which it is being raised. |
| 57 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |