April 28, 2015, Introduced by Reps. Barrett, Heise, Moss, Kelly, Hughes, Chatfield, Rutledge, Tedder, Lucido, Sheppard, LaVoy, Hooker, Outman, Bumstead, Faris, Talabi, Chang, Glenn and Cole and referred to the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs.
A bill to provide for the issuance of identification, tags,
and vests 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) "Person with a disability" means a person who satisfies
all of the following conditions:
(i) Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially
limits 1 or more major life activities.
(ii) Has a history or record of an impairment described in
subparagraph (i).
(iii) Is perceived by other persons as having an impairment
described in subparagraph (i).
(b) As used in subdivision (a), "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.
(c) "Service animal" means a dog or a miniature horse that has
been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the
benefit of a person with a disability, including a physical,
sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.
Sec. 3. (1) Subject to subsection (2), the department shall
develop and make available upon request an identification, tag, and
vest for a service animal for a person with a disability.
(2) To be eligible to receive the identification, tag, and
vest 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, tag, and vest attesting that the service animal for
which the identification, tag, and vest are being sought has been
trained to be a service animal.
(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.
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.