HB315 Summary

• Makes it a crime to harass, injure, or cause the death of a service dog, with penalties ranging from Class C misdemeanor for harassment after notice to Class A misdemeanor for intentional injury or death.

• Defines "service dog" as a dog individually trained to assist persons with physician-diagnosed physical or mental disabilities, including guide dogs, mobility assistance dogs, and medical alert dogs.

• Requires persons convicted of violations to provide full restitution covering medical expenses, replacement and training costs, veterinary care, lost wages of the service dog user, and other economic losses related to the violation.

• Allows service dog users to bring civil lawsuits in court for violations, with courts authorized to award costs and reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and gubernatorial approval.