This document includes House Committee Amendments incorporated into the bill on Thu, Feb 22, 2018 at 2:07 PM by bbryner.
1     
ASSISTANCE ANIMALS AMENDMENTS

2     
2018 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: James A. Dunnigan

5     
Senate Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill amends provisions related to animals that provide support for individuals with
10     disabilities.
11     Highlighted Provisions:
12          This bill:
13          ▸     defines "assistance animal";
14          ▸     amends housing and criminal provisions relating to the use of a service animal or an
15     assistance animal; and
16          ▸     makes technical changes.
17     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
18          None
19     Other Special Clauses:
20          None
21     Utah Code Sections Affected:
22     AMENDS:
23          62A-5b-101, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 22
24          62A-5b-102, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 94
25          62A-5b-103, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 22
26          62A-5b-104, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 389
27          62A-5b-105, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 22

28          62A-5b-106, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 22
29     

30     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
31          Section 1. Section 62A-5b-101 is amended to read:
32     
CHAPTER 5b. RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF AN INDIVIDUAL

33     
WITH A DISABILITY

34          62A-5b-101. Title.
35          This chapter is known as "Rights and Privileges of [a Person] an Individual with a
36     Disability."
37          Section 2. Section 62A-5b-102 is amended to read:
38          62A-5b-102. Definitions.
39          As used in this chapter:
40          (1) "Assistance animal" means an animal, other than a service animal, that qualifies as
41     a reasonable accommodation under federal law for an individual with a disability.
42          [(1)] (2) "Disability" has the same meaning as defined in 42 U.S.C. 12102 of the
43     Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, as may be amended in the future, and 28 C.F.R.
44     36.104 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as may be amended in the future.
45          [(2)] (3) "Restaurant":
46          (a) includes any coffee shop, cafeteria, luncheonette, soda fountain, dining room, or
47     fast-food service where food is prepared or served for immediate consumption; and
48          (b) does not include:
49          (i) any retail establishment whose primary business or function is the sale of fuel or
50     food items for off-premise, but not immediate, consumption; and
51          (ii) except for a dinner theater, a theater that sells food items.
52          [(3)] (4) (a) "Service animal" includes any dog that:
53          (i) is trained, or is in training, to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an
54     individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other
55     mental disability;
56          (ii) performs work or tasks, or is in training to perform work or tasks, that are directly
57     related to the individual's disability, including:
58          (A) assisting an individual who is blind or has low vision with navigation or other

59     tasks;
60          (B) alerting an individual who is deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or
61     sounds;
62          (C) providing non-violent protection or rescue work;
63          (D) pulling a wheelchair;
64          (E) assisting an individual during a seizure;
65          (F) alerting an individual to the presence of an allergen;
66          (G) retrieving an item for the individual;
67          (H) providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to an
68     individual with a mobility disability; or
69          (I) helping an individual with a psychiatric or neurological disability by preventing or
70     interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors.
71          (b) "Service animal" does not include:
72          (i) an animal other than a dog, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained; or
73          (ii) an animal used solely to provide:
74          (A) a crime deterrent;
75          (B) emotional support;
76          (C) well-being;
77          (D) comfort; or
78          (E) companionship.
79          Section 3. Section 62A-5b-103 is amended to read:
80          62A-5b-103. Rights and privileges of an individual with a disability.
81          (1) [A person] An individual with a disability has the same rights and privileges in the
82     use of highways, streets, sidewalks, walkways, public buildings, public facilities, and other
83     public areas as [a person] an individual who is not [a person] an individual with a disability.
84          (2) [A person] An individual with a disability has equal rights to accommodations,
85     advantages, and facilities offered by common carriers, including air carriers, railroad carriers,
86     motor buses, motor vehicles, water carriers, and all other modes of public conveyance in this
87     state.
88          (3) [A person] An individual with a disability has equal rights to accommodations,
89     advantages, and facilities offered by hotels, motels, lodges, and all other places of public

90     accommodation in this state, and to places of amusement or resort to which the public is
91     invited.
92          (4) (a) [A person] An individual with a disability has equal rights and access to public
93     and private housing accommodations offered for rent, lease, or other compensation in this state.
94          (b) This chapter does not require a person renting, leasing, or selling private housing or
95     real property to modify the housing or property in order to accommodate [a person] an
96     individual with a disability or to provide a higher degree of care for that [person] individual
97     than for someone who is not [a person] an individual with a disability.
98          (c) A person renting, leasing, or selling private housing or real property to [a person] an
99     individual with a disability shall comply with the provisions of Section 62A-5b-104[, regarding
100     the right of the person to be accompanied by a service animal specially trained for that
101     purpose].
102          Section 4. Section 62A-5b-104 is amended to read:
103          62A-5b-104. Right to be accompanied by service animal or assistance animal --
104     Security deposits -- Discrimination -- Liability -- Identification.
105          (1) (a) [A person] An individual with a disability has the right to be accompanied by a
106     service animal, unless the service animal is a danger or nuisance to others as interpreted under
107     the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 12102:
108          (i) in any of the places specified in Section 62A-5b-103; and
109          (ii) without additional charge for the service animal.
110          (b) Ĥ→ (i) [
This section does not prohibit an] An ←Ĥ owner or lessor of private housing
111     accommodations Ĥ→ [
from charging a person, including [a person] an individual with a disability, a
112     reasonable deposit as security for any damage or wear and tear that might be caused by a
113     service animal or assistance animal if the owner or lessor would charge a similar deposit to
114     other persons for potential wear and tear.
] may charge a person, including an individual with a

114a     disability who is accompanied by a service animal or an assistance animal, the same security
114b     deposit for wear and tear that the owner or lessor charges to other persons who are not
114c     accompanied by a service animal or an assistance animal.
114d           (ii) An owner or lessor of private housing may not charge an extra fee or deposit for a
114e     service or assistant animal. ←Ĥ
115          (c) An owner or lessor of private housing accommodations may not, in any manner,
116     discriminate against [a person] an individual with a disability on the basis of the [person's]
117     individual's possession of a service animal or assistance animal.
118          (2) [A person] An individual who is not [a person] an individual with a disability has
119     the right to be accompanied by an animal that is in training to become a service animal or a
120     police service canine, as defined in Section 53-16-102:

121          (a) in any of the places specified in Section 62A-5b-103; and
122          (b) without additional charge for the animal.
123          (3) [A person] An individual with a disability is liable for any loss or damage caused or
124     inflicted to the premises by the [person's] individual's service animal or assistance animal.
125          (4) A person accompanied by a service animal is encouraged to identify the animal by
126     exhibiting one or more of the following:
127          (a) the animal's laminated identification card;
128          (b) the animal's service vest; or
129          (c) another form of identification.
130          Section 5. Section 62A-5b-105 is amended to read:
131          62A-5b-105. Policy of state to employ individuals with a disability.
132          It is the policy of this state that [a person] an individual with a disability shall be
133     employed in the state service, the service of the political subdivisions of the state, in the public
134     schools, and in all other employment supported in whole or in part by public funds on the same
135     terms and conditions as [a person] an individual who is not [a person] an individual with a
136     disability, unless it is shown that the particular disability prevents the performance of the work
137     involved.
138          Section 6. Section 62A-5b-106 is amended to read:
139          62A-5b-106. Interference with rights provided in this chapter --
140     Misrepresentation of rights under this chapter.
141          (1) Any [person,] individual or agent of any [person] individual, who denies or
142     interferes with the rights provided in this chapter is guilty of a class C misdemeanor.
143          (2) [A person] An individual is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if:
144          (a) the [person] individual intentionally and knowingly falsely represents to another
145     person that an animal is a service animal [as defined in Section 62A-5b-102; or] or an
146     assistance animal;
147          (b) the [person] individual knowingly and intentionally misrepresents a material fact to
148     a health care provider for the purpose of obtaining documentation from the health care provider
149     necessary to designate an animal as a service animal [as defined in Section 62A-5b-102.] or an
150     assistance animal; or
151          (c) the individual, except for an individual with a disability, uses an animal to gain

152     treatment or benefits only provided for an individual with a disability.
153          (3) This section does not affect the enforceability of any criminal law, including
154     Subsection 76-6-501(2).






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