Washington's Law Against Discrimination.
Washington law protects, among other rights, the right to be free from discrimination because of the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, including the right to the full enjoyment of any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, or privileges of any place of public resort, accommodation, assemblage, or amusement.
Places of Public Resort, Accommodation, Assemblage, or Amusement.
Places of public resort, accommodation, assemblage, or amusement include, but are not limited to:
Places of public resort, accommodation, assemblage, or amusement do not include or apply to:
Service Animals.
A service animal is any dog or miniature horse that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. The work or tasks performed by the service animal must be directly related to the individual's disability.
It is a civil infraction for any person to misrepresent an animal as a service animal. A violation occurs when a person expressly or impliedly represents that an animal is a service animal and the person knew or should have known that the animal in question did not meet the definition of a service animal. A violation is punishable by a maximum penalty of $500.
Trainer's Right of Access.
A place of public accommodation may not deny a service animal trainer the right to be accompanied by a service animal trainee in any area of the place that is open to the public or to business invitees. However, a place of public accommodation may require a service animal trainer to remove a service animal trainee if the animal is not trained to urinate and defecate outside of the facility or only in an appropriate place, or if the animal is out of control and effective action is not taken to control the animal.
Trainer's Obligation to Maintain Control.
A service animal trainer must maintain control of a service animal trainee. Control must be exerted by means of a harness, leash, or other tether, unless such means would interfere with the ability of the animal to do the work or perform the tasks for which it is being trained, in which case control may be exerted by the effective use of voice commands, signals, or other means.
Places of Public Resort, Accommodation, Assemblage, or Amusement.
The definition of a place of public resort, accommodation, assemblage, or amusement, as it relates to service animal trainers and service animal trainees, does not include those places of public accommodation conducted for housing or lodging of transient guests.
Public Accommodation Rights and Requirements.
A place of public accommodation:
Misrepresentation.
It is a civil infraction for any person to misrepresent an animal as a service animal trainee. A violation occurs when a person expressly or impliedly represents that an animal is a service animal trainee and the person knew or should have known that the animal in question did not meet the definition of service animal trainee.
Defined Terms.
"Service animal trainee" means any dog or miniature horse that is undergoing training to become a service animal.
"Service animal trainer" means an individual exercising care, custody, and control over a service animal trainee during a course of training designed to develop the service animal trainee into a service animal.
(In support) This bill will serve to support the development of service animals.
Other states like Nevada and California have protections in place for service animals in training to ensure they have access to public areas, which is a vital part of their training. Trainers take their service animal trainees everywhere to teach them how to behave when they are serving their vital function for disabled individuals in society.
One local guide dog is being raised by a teacher, but they are unable to bring the guide dog with them into public schools. Another person must take care of the guide dog during the day, which is an inconvenience in the process of raising a guide dog.
(Opposed) None.
Spencer Lang.