Source: https://ribit.rofreg.com/legislations/5351
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 05:55:26
Document Index: 208728112

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 42', '§ 42', '§ 40', '§ 40', '§ 40', '§ 40', '§ 40']

House Bill #5299 (2019)
AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES - EQUAL RIGHTS OF BLIND AND DEAF PERSONS TO PUBLIC FACILITIES
2019-02-15: Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
2019-02-27: Committee postponed at request of sponsor (02/27/2019) [Show]
2019-03-29: Scheduled for consideration (04/03/2019) [Show]
2019-04-03: Committee recommends passage as amended
2019-04-11: House passed as amended
2019 – H 5299
2019 – H 5299 AS AMENDED
RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES - EQUAL RIGHTS OF BLIND AND DEAF PERSONS
Introduced By: Representatives Hawkins, Lima, Phillips, Noret, and Serodio
SECTION 1. Sections 40-9.1-1, 40-9.1-1.1, 40-9.1-2, 40-9.1-2.1, 40-9.1-3 and 40-9.1-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 40-9.1 entitled "Equal Rights of Blind and Deaf Persons to Public Facilities" are hereby amended to read as follows:
40-9.1-1. Declaration of policy.
(a) Persons who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard-of-hearing and otherwise disabled or otherwise have a disability have the same rights as the able-bodied to the full and free use of the streets, highways, walkways, public buildings, public facilities and other public places.
(b) Persons who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard-of-hearing and otherwise disabled or otherwise have a disability are entitled to full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges on any public conveyance operated on land or water or in the air, or any stations and terminals thereof, not limited to taxis, airplanes, motor vehicles, railroad trains, motor buses, street cars, boats and in any educational institution, not limited to any kindergarten, primary and secondary school, trade or business school, high school, academy, college and university, and in places of public resort, accommodation, assemblage or amusement, not limited to hotels, lodging places, restaurants, theater and in all other places to which the general public is invited, subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all persons.
40-9.1-1.1. Definitions.
(1) "Disability" means a disability as defined in § 42-87-1.
(a)(2) "Guide dog" means a dog that has been or is being specially trained to aid a particular blind or visually impaired person.
(b)(3) "Hearing dog" means a dog that has been or is being specially trained to aid a particular deaf or hard-of-hearing person.
(f) "Disabled" means a disability as defined in § 42-87-1.
(g) "Closed-captioning" means a transcript or dialog of the audio portion of a television program that is displayed on a television receiver screen when the user activates the feature.
(h) "Public area" means a part of a place of public accommodation that is open to the general public.
(i) "Regular hours" means the hours of any day in which a place of public accommodation is open to members of the general public.
(4) "Public area" means a part of a place listed in § 40-9.1-1 that is open to the general public.
(5) "Regular hours" means the hours of any day in which a public place of a place listed in § 40-9.1-1 is open to members of the general public.
(6) "Service animal" means a dog that has been or is being specifically trained to assist an individual with a disability, and includes a guide dog or hearing dog.
40-9.1-2. Personal assistance animals in public places.
Every disabled person with a disability has the right to be accompanied by a personal assistance service animal, specially trained for that person in any housing accommodation or in any places place listed in § 40-9.1-1(b) and (c) without being required to pay an extra charge for the personal assistance animal. Each disabled person with a disability using a personal assistance service animal is solely liable for any damage done to persons, premises or facilities by the personal assistance service animal.
40-9.1-2.1. Trainers of personal assistance animals and dogs in training.
Every trainer or puppy raiser of a personal assistance service animal shall have the same rights and privileges as stated in § 40-9.1-2 for every person with a disability. Each trainer or puppy raiser during the training of a personal assistance service animal is liable for any damage done to persons, premises or facilities by that personal assistance service animal.
40-9.1-3. Penalty for injuring or interfering with a personal assistance animal – Civil actions – Damages – Cost and attorney's fees. Penalty for injuring or interfering with a service animal – Civil actions – Damages – Cost and attorneys' fees.
(b) It is unlawful for any person to injure a personal assistance service animal and shall be liable for the injuries to the assistance service animal and if necessary the replacement and compensation for the loss of the personal assistance service animal.
(c) It is unlawful for the owner of a dog an animal to allow that dog their animal to injure a personal assistance service animal because the owner failed to control or leash the dog the service animal. The owner shall also be liable for the injuries to the personal assistance dog service animal and if necessary the replacement and compensation for the loss of the personal assistance service animal.
40-9.1-5. Family therapy pets in public places. Therapy pets in public places.
(a) The privileges of access and transportation provided to personal assistance service animals in § 40-9.1-2 shall be extended to family therapy pets which are further defined as primary companions which include, but are not limited to, dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs, that are working in the provision of pet assisted therapy treatment and education.
SECTION 2. Chapter 40-9.1 of the General Laws entitled "Equal Rights of Blind and Deaf Persons to Public Facilities" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections:
40-9.1-3.1. Misrepresentation of service animal.
(a) It is a violation of this chapter for an individual to take an animal into a public area where pets are not permitted, and state that the animal is a service animal entitled to be present, if the animal is not a service animal.
(b) Businesses may post a decal suitable in a front window or door, stating that service animals are welcome and that misrepresentation of a service animal is a violation of Rhode Island law; and
(c) It shall be a violation for any individual to misrepresent a pet or any other animal as a service animal when attempting to gain access to or remain in a public area. A violation of this section occurs when:
(1) An individual expressly represents that an animal in their possession is a service animal for the purpose of obtaining any rights or privileges afforded to persons with disabilities accompanied by service animals, but unavailable to people and their pets or other animals; and
(2) Said individual knew or should have known that the animal in question did not meet the definition of a service animal.
(d) A violation of this section shall be deemed a civil violation, punishable by up to thirty (30) hours of community service for an organization that serves individuals with disabilities at the discretion of the court.
40-9.1-7. Non-interference with federal law.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to interfere with any rights provided by federal law to individuals with disabilities.
This act would prohibit misrepresentation of the status of an animal as a service animal in order to acquire any right or privilege afforded disabled persons.
This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC001237 ========