SCS/SB 107 - Under this act, any person knowingly misrepresenting a dog as a service dog, as described in the act, for the purposes of receiving accommodations regarding service dogs under the Americans with Disabilities Act shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class B misdemeanor for each subsequent offense. Additionally, any person knowingly misrepresenting any animal as an assistance animal, as described in the act, for the purposes of receiving accommodations regarding assistance animals under the Fair Housing Act or Rehabilitation Act shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class B misdemeanor for each subsequent offense. A person seeking accommodations regarding assistance animals under the Fair Housing Act or Rehabilitation Act shall provide verifiable documentation from a health care professional or mental health professional attesting to the person's need and identifying the specific animal. The Missouri Commission on Human Rights shall use its existing complaint hotline to receive reports of individuals impersonating a person with a disability, misrepresenting a dog as a service dog, or misrepresenting an animal as an assistance animal. The Governor's Council on Disability shall prepare and make available online a placard for posting in a front window or door of a business stating that service dogs are welcome and misrepresenting a service dog is a violation of Missouri law. The Council shall also prepare and make available a brochure detailing guidelines regarding service dogs and assistance animals.
This act is substantially similar to HCS/HB 2031 (2018) and provisions in HCS/SS/SCS/SB 918 (2018).
SARAH HASKINS