Substitute Bill No. 5232 Summary

• Expands the definition of "service animal" throughout Connecticut law to align with federal regulation 28 CFR 35.104 and includes service animals in training, replacing previous narrow references to only guide dogs and assistance dogs.

• Increases paid sick leave for state and quasi-public agency employees with disabilities from 15 to 20 days to participate in service animal training, and extends this same benefit to municipal employees.

• Requires transportation network company drivers to accommodate service animals without imposing additional charges and comply with nondiscrimination laws regarding riders with disabilities.

• Updates animal control, licensing, and pedestrian safety laws to recognize all service animals rather than specific types, and removes requirements for orange-colored leashes or harnesses as the sole identification method.

• Creates a new Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities requirement to provide educational materials online about the differences between service animals, emotional support animals, and therapy animals, and the rights and responsibilities of animal owners under state and federal law.