HB-4521, As Passed House, October 7, 2015HB-4521, As Passed Senate, October 6, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE SUBSTITUTE FOR

 

HOUSE BILL NO. 4521

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     A bill to provide for the voluntary issuance of identification

 

and patches for service animals; and to provide for certain powers

 

and duties of the department of civil rights.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Department" means the department of civil rights.

 

     (b) "Person with a disability" means a person who has a

 

disability as defined in section 12102 of the Americans with

 

disabilities act of 1990, 42 USC 12102, and 28 CFR 36.104.

 

     (c) As used in subdivision (b), "person with a disability"

 

includes a veteran who has been diagnosed with 1 or more of the

 

following:

 

     (i) Post-traumatic stress disorder.


     (ii) Traumatic brain injury.

 

     (iii) Other service-related disabilities.

 

     (d) "Service animal" means all of the following:

 

     (i) That term as defined in 28 CFR 36.104.

 

     (ii) A miniature horse that has been individually trained to

 

do work or perform tasks as described in 28 CFR 36.104 for the

 

benefit of a person with a disability.

 

     (e) "Veteran" means any of the following:

 

     (i) A person who performed military service in the armed

 

forces for a period of more than 90 days and separated from the

 

armed forces in a manner other than a dishonorable discharge.

 

     (ii) A person discharged or released from military service

 

because of a service-related disability.

 

     (iii) A member of a reserve branch of the armed forces at the

 

time he or she was ordered to military service during a period of

 

war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge is

 

authorized, and was released from military service in a manner

 

other than a dishonorable discharge.

 

     Sec. 3. (1) Subject to subsection (2), the department shall

 

develop and make available upon request a voluntary identification

 

and patch for a service animal for a person with a disability.

 

     (2) To be eligible to receive the voluntary identification and

 

patch described in subsection (1), the person seeking the materials

 

shall provide all of the following:

 

     (a) An affidavit signed by the person seeking the

 

identification and patch attesting that the service animal for

 

which the identification and patch are being sought has been

 


trained to be a service animal for use by a person with a

 

disability.

 

     (b) Documentation from an appropriate health care or

 

rehabilitation professional that the individual requires the

 

assistance of a service animal due to a disability.

 

     Sec. 5. The department shall use its existing telephone

 

complaint hotline to receive reports of problems encountered by a

 

person with a disability using a service animal and to receive

 

reports of a person impersonating a person with a disability and

 

using a service animal. The department may refer an alleged

 

violation of section 3(2)(a) to the appropriate law enforcement

 

agency for investigation.

 

     Sec. 7. A person who knowingly or willingly submits a false or

 

fraudulent affidavit under section 3(2)(a) is guilty of a

 

misdemeanor punishable by 1 or more of the following:

 

     (a) Imprisonment for not more than 90 days.

 

     (b) A fine of not more than $500.00.

 

     (c) Community service for not more than 30 days.

 

     Enacting section 1. This act takes effect 90 days after the

 

date it is enacted into law.

 

     Enacting section 2. This act does not take effect unless all

 

of the following bills of the 98th Legislature are enacted into

 

law:

 

     (a) Senate Bill No. 298.

 

     (b) Senate Bill No. 299.

 

     (c) House Bill No. 4527.