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GA HB1187
Bill
Status
Introduced
2/7/2024
Primary Sponsor
Brad Thomas
Click for details
AI Summary
- Replaces all references to "assistance dogs," "guide dogs," and related terms throughout Georgia law with the unified term "service dog," defined as a domestic canine individually trained to perform tasks directly assisting a physically or mentally impaired person related to their specific disability; explicitly excludes dogs providing only comfort, companionship, or emotional support
- Creates a new felony offense for any person who causes death or serious physical harm to a service dog, punishable by 1–5 years imprisonment and a fine up to $10,000.00, with an exception for humane euthanasia
- Lowers the mental state required for service dog harassment offenses from "knowingly and intentionally" to "criminal negligence," while retaining misdemeanor penalties of at least 90 days imprisonment, a fine up to $500.00, or both
- Establishes a new misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature for deliberately misrepresenting oneself as qualified to use, train, or raise a service dog, punishable by a fine up to $2,000.00, imprisonment up to 30 days, or both
- Broadens the definition of protected persons from specific categories (blind, deaf, physically disabled) to the inclusive term "physically or mentally impaired person," and formally recognizes "owner training" of service dogs by disabled individuals as carrying the same public access rights as professionally trained service dogs
Legislative Description
Crimes and offenses; change references to assistance and guide dogs to service dogs
Last Action
House Second Readers
2/9/2024
Committee Referrals
Public Health2/8/2024
Full Bill Text
No bill text available