NJ A4660

New Jersey Department of Human Services would be required to contract with service dog training agencies to provide psychiatric service dogs to first responders, health care workers, and frontline workers diagnosed with COVID-19-related PTSD.

Eligible recipients must be New Jersey residents, have PTSD certified by a physician or mental health provider, and qualify as functionally limited under the Americans with Disabilities Act due to COVID-19.

Trained psychiatric service dogs would be provided at no cost to eligible individuals, though recipients must pay for ongoing shelter and care expenses and register the dog in their municipality.

Recipients may choose to maintain permanent ownership of the service dog; those who decline must return the dog to DHS, which will transfer it back to the training organization.

The Commissioner of Human Services is authorized to establish application procedures, eligibility standards, and rules for humane care requirements through administrative rulemaking.