SENATE BILL REPORT

 

 

                                   SHB 1259

 

 

BYHouse Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Scott, Cole, Heavey, Padden, Crane, P. King, R. Meyers, Belcher, Schmidt, Moyer, Tate, Patrick, Anderson, Jacobsen, Kremen, Todd, G. Fisher, Doty, Winsley, Baugher and Silver)

 

 

Exempting guide and service dogs from local license fees.

 

 

House Committe on Local Government

 

 

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

 

      Senate Hearing Date(s):March 16, 1989

 

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators McCaslin, Chairman; Thorsness, Vice Chairman; Conner, Pullen, Sutherland.

 

      Senate Staff:Desley Brooks (786-7443)

                  March 16, 1989

 

 

      AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, MARCH 16, 1989

 

BACKGROUND:

 

State law provides that a totally or partially blind, hearing impaired, or physically disabled person has the right to be accompanied by a guide dog or service dog on common carriers, airplanes, railroad trains, motor buses, street cars, all other public conveyances, hotels, places of lodging, places of public resort, accommodation, assemblage or amusement, and all other places to which the general public is invited.

 

A guide dog is defined in law as a dog in working harness that has been trained or approved by an accredited school for the purpose of guiding blind persons or assisting hearing impaired persons.  A service dog is defined in law as a dog that has been trained or approved by an accredited school for the purposes of assisting or accommodating a physically disabled person related to the person's physical disability.

 

Counties, cities and towns are authorized to license dogs.

 

SUMMARY:

 

Local governments are required to honor the request of a blind person or a hearing impaired person that they not be charged fees to license their guide dog.  The local government must also honor the request of a physically handicapped person that they not be charged a license fee for their service dog.

 

Appropriation:    none

 

Revenue:    none

 

Fiscal Note:      none requested

 

Senate Committee - Testified: No one