House Bill No. 5257, as amended by House Amendment Schedule "A," is an act concerning liability for damage to person or property caused by a dog. The bill, effective October 1, 2024, amends Section 22-357 of the general statutes to make both the owner and keeper of a dog liable for any damage the dog causes to a person's body or property. The bill maintains the current law's exceptions, where liability does not apply if the person damaged was committing a trespass or other tort, or was teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog. It also retains the presumption that minors under seven years of age were not committing such acts, placing the burden of proof on the defendant. Additionally, the bill presumes that household members of law enforcement officers are not keepers of dogs assigned to the officers unless proven otherwise by the plaintiff.

The bill also amends Section 22-364b of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes, requiring dog owners or keepers to restrain their dogs on a leash when near a person with a disability accompanied by a service animal. It holds the owner, keeper, or both liable for any damage caused by their dog to a service animal, including costs for veterinary care, rehabilitation, or replacement of the injured service animal, as well as reasonable attorney's fees. The bill specifies that the owner, keeper, or both are liable for the damage, rather than being jointly and severally liable as in the underlying bill. The fiscal impact statement indicates that the bill is not expected to result in a cost to the state or municipalities and will not materially impact court operations.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 22-357
JUD Joint Favorable: 22-357
File No. 438: 22-357
File No. 615: 22-357