Human Services Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: HB-6318
Title: AN ACT CONCERNING SERVICE ANIMALS.
Vote Date: 3/9/2021
Vote Action: Joint Favorable Substitute
PH Date: 2/16/2021
File No.:
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
Human Services Committee
REASONS FOR BILL:
This bill has two main provisions: to align state law with federal law concerning service
animals, and to create public awareness regarding the rights and responsibilities of owners of
service, emotional support, and therapy animals. The goal of this bill is to reduce confusion of
the public and promote clarity on current federal law.
The substitute language defines "disability" in a more inclusive way to provide broader
protections to people with disabilities. It adds language to allow staff at a public
accommodation to inquire if the service animal is required because of a disability and what
task the animal performs, so that the staff may have clarity about the role of the service
animal. It also removes language so that it eliminates a person's liability for the damage their
service animal may cause.
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
Tanya Hughes, Executive Director, Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities,
supports the intent behind the bill but has several concerns with its current language. First,
the Commission has significant concerns with the changes made in section 9 regarding the
definition of disability under Connecticut law. This is because Connecticuts definition is
intentionally broader than the federal definition. Ms. Hughes fears that moving to a more
restrictive definition may limit the states ability to protect as many residents as possible from
being subjected to discrimination. She requests the removal of language in section 10 that
holds persons with disabilities responsible for damage done to a premise by their service
animals, as it is punitive. Lastly, the Commission believes the mandate of section 13 is
problematic in that asks the Commission to post information that may constitute improper
rulemaking under current case law.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Thomas Hinchey, VP of Government Affairs, CT Academy of Audiology
Stacey Ober, Legislative Analyst and Community Outreach Coordinator, The American
Kennel Club
Bill DeMaio, President, ADA Collation of CT
Jeffrey Freiser
Each testifier supports this bill as it updates Connecticuts statutes to align with federal
service animal definitions and requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Mr. DeMaio and Mr. Freiser support the bills clarification that volunteers who train services
animals have the same access to public transportation and public accommodations as
persons with disabilities. Mr. Freiser comments that this access is critical in ensuring that
puppies are properly socialized in their training. Mr. DeMaio believes that giving individuals
who use service animals freedom to be welcome at all public entities will increase the quality
of life.
Kathleen Flaherty, Executive Director, Connecticut Legal Rights Project, supports this bill
because it is a result of the working group she was a part of which examined Connecticuts
laws regarding service animals, emotional support animals, and therapy animals.
Pamela Garde supports this bill because as an owner of service dogs for decades, she fully
understands the need for service dogs to be with their owners at all times.
Abby Hill, Founder and Executive Director, The Exceptional Sidekick Service Dogs (TESSD)
supports the bill with the following amendments: the implementation of a system to deal with
cases of discrimination against individuals with service dogs, and the creation of an education
campaign to prevent discrimination. Ms. Hill comments that when an individual experiences
discrimination and is refused access, they endure lasting and devastating effects. She also
addressed the need for a law regarding situations where individuals unlawfully have service
dogs in Connecticut.
John Souza, President, CT Coalition of Property Owners supports this bill as long as further
clarification is provided within the statute. Mr. Souza requests further clarification of the
relationship between landlord and tenant with regards to emotional support animals.
Otherwise, he believes this bill helps resolve persistent problems that exist between property
owners and tenants.
Sandy Lee, Board of Directors member, The Exceptional Sidekick Service Dogs (TESSD)
supports this bill and requests that language is added especially permitting trainers/ raisers to
bring their service dog in training to their place of employment or school. Ms. Lee explains
Page 2 of 3 HB-6318
that when volunteers are denied these accommodations, it significantly decreases the
number of service dogs that can be trained to meet the demand.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
There are no sources of opposition to this bill.
Reported by: Gianna Vollano Date: March 21, 2021
Page 3 of 3 HB-6318


Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 5-247b, 14-300, 22-345, 22-364b, 52-175a, 54-201
HS Joint Favorable Substitute: 5-247b, 14-300, 22-345, 22-364b, 52-175a, 54-201
File No. 119: 5-247b, 14-300, 22-345, 22-364b, 52-175a, 54-201
LAB Joint Favorable: 5-247b, 14-300, 22-345, 22-364b, 52-175a, 54-201