The bill amends the Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act to enhance protections for tenants with disabilities, specifically regarding emotional support animals. It allows tenants with a disability to request and be approved by a landlord to keep an emotional support animal as a reasonable accommodation in housing. The bill defines an emotional support animal as a domesticated animal that provides emotional, cognitive, or similar support to an individual with a disability and does not require training or certification.

Landlords may request supporting documentation from a healthcare practitioner if the tenant's need for the emotional support animal is not readily apparent. This documentation must come from a Rhode Island licensed healthcare practitioner who has established a patient-practitioner relationship for at least thirty days and must affirm the need for the animal under penalty of perjury.

The bill specifies that landlords may deny requests for emotional support animals if the animal poses a direct threat to the safety or health of others, causes physical damage to the property that cannot be mitigated by another reasonable accommodation, or if allowing the animal would result in the cancellation of property insurance or a substantial increase in premiums.

Tenants with emotional support animals are liable for any damage caused by the animal to the premises or to other individuals on the premises. The act takes effect upon passage. Existing laws requiring greater accessibility for persons with disabilities remain unaffected.

Statutes affected:
8215: 34-37-4
8215  SUB A: 34-37-4
8215  SUB A as amended: 34-37-4