Minnesota Bills Seek To Make Misrepresentation of A Service Dog A Crime

AKC Legislative Alert

Companion Minnesota bills, House File 3157 and Senate File 2646, seek to make it a crime to misrepresent a dog as a service animal or a service animal in training.   First violations would qualify as petty misdemeanors with fines up to $100.  Second or subsequent violations would qualify as misdemeanors with 30 hours of community service for an organization that serves individuals with disabilities and fines up to $1,000 and/or up to 90 days’ jail time.

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 Owners for information on why misrepresenting a dog as a service animal is damaging to many.

The American Kennel Club supports HF 3157/SF 2646.  We encourage all Minnesota residents to contact the members of each committee below and request their members support HF 3157 and SF 2646.

For HF 3157 – House Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance Committee

Representative Brian Johnson, Chair - rep.brian.johnson@house.mn
Representative Kathy Lohmer, Vice Chair - rep.kathy.lohmer@house.mn
Representative Debra Hilstrom, DFL Lead - rep.debra.hilstrom@house.mn
Representative Jamie Becker-Finn - rep.jamie.becker-finn@house.mn
Representative John (Jack) Considine Jr. - rep.jack.considine@house.mn
Representative Raymond Dehn - rep.raymond.dehn@house.mn
Representative Keith Franke - rep.keith.franke@house.mn
Representative Matt Grossel - rep.matt.grossell@house.mn
Representative Jeff Howe - rep.jeff.howe@house.mn
Representative Eric Lucero - rep.eric.lucero@house.mn
Representative Jim Newberger - rep.jim.newberger@house.mn
Representative Marion O’Neill - rep.marion.oneill@house.mn
Representative Dave Pinto - rep.dave.pinto@house.mn
Representative Mark Uglem - rep.mark.uglem@house.mn
Representative JoAnn Ward - rep.joann.ward@house.mn
Representative Nick Zerwas - rep.nick.zerwas@house.mn

For SF 2646 – Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee

Senator Warren Limmer, Chair - sen.warren.limmer@senate.mn
Senator Dan D. Hall, Vice Chair – link to email form
Senator Ron Latz, Ranking Minority Member – link to email form
Senator Bruce D. Anderson - sen.bruce.anderson@senate.mn
Senator Kari Dziedzic – link to email form
Senator Bill Ingebrigsten - sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn
Senator Mark Johnson – link to email form
Senator Sandra L. Pappas – link to email form
Senator Jerry Relph – link to email form

For more information on these or any other legislative issues in Minnesota, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at 919-816-3720, or email doglaw@akc.org.

Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=140566

Posted by chesliepickett on Mar 6 2018. Filed under Breaking News, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.