Hawaii Bill Would Make False Representations of Service Dogs a Misdemeanor

AKC Legislative Alert

The Hawaii House Health and Human Services Committee is scheduled to consider House Bill 1823 on Tuesday, January 30, 2018.  The bill seeks to create a misdemeanor for those found to have knowingly and misrepresents themselves, through conduct or verbal or written notice, as being disabled in an attempt to receive the benefits and protections afforded under federal or State law for the use of service dog or emotional support animal.

Service dogs are defined as those that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. The AKC strongly supports public accommodations that allow individuals with disabilities to use service dogs. The AKC strongly condemns characterizing dogs as service animals when they are not, or attempting to benefit from a dog’s service dog status when the individual using the dog is not a person with a disability.

Read Misuse of Service Dogs Hurts the Disabled and Responsible Dog Ownersfor information on why misrepresenting a dog as a service animal is damaging to many.

The American Kennel Club supports HB 1823.  We encourage all concerned Hawaii residents to contact the members of the Hawaii House Health and Human Services Committee and request they support House Bill 1823.  They will consider the measure at their Tuesday, January 30, meeting, which will take place at 9:30AM in Conference Room 329 of the State Capitol, 415 South Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI 96813.

Testimony may be submitted via email at HHStestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov.  Persons wishing to offer comments should submit testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.  Testimony should indicate the testifier’s name with position/title and organization, the Committee(s) to which the comments are directed, the date and time of the hearing; and bill number HB 1823.

Individual committee members may be reached via email:

Representative John M. Mizuno, Chair - repmizuno@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Bertrand Kobayashi, Vice Chair - repkobayashi@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Della Au Belatti - repbelatti@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Lei R. Learmont - replearmont@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Andria P.L. Tupola - reptupola@Capitol.hawaii.gov

For more information on HB 1823 or other Hawaii legislation, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at doglaw@akc.org.