[Cagdu] FW: Fw: Proposed Act Regarding Service Dogs from the state of Maine.

[Lisa Irving]

Hello All, 

I can see pros and cons for this legislative action. On one hand, something must be done to weed out the wanna-be service dogs.On the other hand I'm troubled by a number of things. First, who's regulating the qualifications of mental health and medical staff in terms of their training and knowledge that enables them pronounce the need or non-need of a service dog? Who's training this population to clearly understand the difference between the make me feel good animals and service dogs? 

Furthermore, who's educating and training the regulatory entities? Additionally, how is it that a state law trumps federal legislation; no identification is required.  I also would like to know how and who will determin whether or not an independent trainer is qualified to determine if the service dog is qualified. My final thought is who's paying for all of this? Persons often living in poverty? The State of Maine? Who? 

Best,
Lisa Irving

-----Original Message-----
From: cagdu-bounces at nfbcal.org [mailto:cagdu-bounces at nfbcal.org] On Behalf of Tina Thomas
Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2015 12:21 PM
To: cagdu at nfbcal.org
Subject: [Cagdu] FW: Fw: Proposed Act Regarding Service Dogs from the state of Maine.


127th MAINE LEGISLATURE 

FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2015 

Legislative Document No. 547 

H.P.

371 House of Representatives, February 26, 2015 

An Act Regarding Service Dogs 

Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 

ordered printed. 

49

ROBERT B. HUNT 

Clerk 

Presented by Representative CAMPBELL of Orrington. (BY REQUEST) 

Cosponsored by Senator SAVIELLO of Franklin and 

Representatives: DOORE of Augusta, LAJOIE of Lewiston, MAKER of Calais, NADEAU of 

Winslow, STANLEY of Medway, TUELL of East Machias. 

Printed on recycled paper 

 

table with 2 columns and 33 rows

1 

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:  

2 

Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §3922, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2007, c. 664, §11, is further  

3 

amended to read:  

4 

4. Service dogs. If a service dog has not been previously registered or licensed by  

 

the municipal clerk to whom the application is being made, the clerk may not register the  

6 

dog nor issue to its owner or keeper a license and tag that identifies the dog as a service  

7 

dog unless the applicant presents written evidence to the municipal clerk that the dog  

8 

meets the definition of "service dog." For the purpose of this subsection "written  

9 

evidence" means a service dog certification form approved by the department in  

 

consultation with the Maine Human Rights Commission. The service dog certification  

11 

form must include a letter signed by a physician, psychologist, physician assistant or  

12 

nurse practitioner indicating that the owner or keeper or a member of the owner's or  

13 

keeper's household requires the service dog and a certification or other document  

14 

indicating that the service dog has completed training from an established service animal  

 

training organization or has been evaluated by a certified animal trainer and found to have  

16 

a sound temperament suitable for a service dog.  

17 

Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §3923-B, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:  

18 

1-A. Service dog registration tag. In accordance with subsection 1, the department  

19 

shall ensure that, with regard to the registration and licensing of a service dog, the service  

 

dog's registration tag clearly indicates that the dog is a service animal pursuant to Title 5,  

21 

section 4553, subsection 9-E. The department shall devise a method of ensuring that a  

22 

service dog's registration tag is clearly visible to the public.  

23 

SUMMARY  

24 

This bill requires that an individual registering a service dog present to the municipal  

 

clerk a letter signed by a physician, psychologist, physician assistant or nurse practitioner  

26 

indicating that the individual or a member of the individual's household requires the  

27 

service dog and a certification or other document indicating that the service dog has  

28 

completed training from an established service animal training organization or has been  

29 

evaluated by a certified animal trainer and found to have a sound temperament suitable  

 

for a service dog. It also requires the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and  

31 

Forestry to ensure that the registration tag of a service dog clearly indicates that the dog is  

32 

a service animal and to devise a method of ensuring that a service dog's registration tag is  

33 

visible to the public. 

table end

 

Page 1 -127LR0304(01)-1

 



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