SB 335 - This act adds "mental health service dog" to the definition of a service dog. A mental health service dog, or psychiatric service dog, is a dog that has been specially trained for an owner who has a psychiatric disability, medical condition, or developmental disability, including but not limited to, the following: autism spectrum disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia. The dog is trained to perform tasks to assist the owner, including alerting or responding to panic attacks and anxiety, as well as performing other tasks directly related to the owner's disability. This act is substantially similar to HB 262 (2017) and similar to HCS/HB 1428 (2016), HB 787 (2015), and HB 142 (2015).
SARAH HASKINS