SB216 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Cam Ward

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Disabled, including persons blind and hearing impaired or person diagnosed with autism spectrum, use of service animal in public places, including public or private schools, training authorized of service animal, Sec. 21-7-4 am'd.

Description

Under existing law, a person who is blind or partially blind or hearing impaired may be accompanied by a guide dog or hearing dog in places of public accommodation. In addition, a person who is training a guide dog and is employed by an accredited school is granted the same privilege. A violation of this law is a misdemeanor.

This bill would provide that a person with a physical disability may be accompanied by a service animal specially trained to assist the person with the disability and would grant a person training a service animal the same privilege. A violation would be subject to the same penalty.

Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901 prohibits a general law whose purpose or effect would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds from becoming effective with regard to a local governmental entity without enactment by a 2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of specified exceptions; it is approved by the affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to the entity for the purpose.

The purpose or effect of this bill would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Amendment 621. However, the bill does not require approval of a local governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to become effective because it comes within one of the specified exceptions contained in Amendment 621.

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Subjects

Handicapped