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SB 644 - This act adds "mental health service dog" to the definition of a service dog. A mental health service dog, or a psychiatric service dog, is a dog that has been individually trained for an owner who has a psychiatric disability, medical condition, or developmental disability, including, but not limited to, the following: autism spectrum disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia. The dog is trained to perform tasks to assist the owner, including alerting or responding to panic attacks and anxiety, as well as performing other tasks directly related to the owner's disability. These provisions are identical to provisions in HCS/HB 107 (2019), substantially similar to provisions in HB 1369 (2019), HB 262 (2017), HCS/HB 1907 (2018), HCS/SS/SCS/SB 918 (2018), and SB 335 (2017), and similar to HCS/HB 1428 (2016), HB 787 (2015), and HB 142 (2015). Under this act, any person knowingly misrepresenting a dog as a service dog, as described in the act, for the purposes of receiving accommodations regarding service dogs under the Americans with Disabilities Act shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class B misdemeanor for each subsequent offense. Additionally, any person knowingly misrepresenting any animal as an assistance animal, as described in the act, for the purposes of receiving accommodations regarding assistance animals under the Fair Housing Act or the Rehabilitation Act shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class B misdemeanor for each subsequent offense. A person seeking accommodations regarding assistance animals under the Fair Housing Act or the Rehabilitation Act shall provide documentation from a health care professional or mental health professional attesting to the person's need. The Missouri Commission on Human Rights shall use its existing complaint hotline to receive reports of individuals impersonating a person with a disability, misrepresenting a dog as a service dog, or misrepresenting an animal as an assistance animal. A person filing a false complaint shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class B misdemeanor for each subsequent offense. The Governor's Council on Disability shall prepare and make available online a placard for posting in a front window or door of a business stating that service dogs are welcome and that misrepresenting a service dog is a violation of Missouri law. The Council shall also prepare and make available a brochure detailing guidelines regarding service dogs and assistance animals. These provisions are identical to provisions in HCS/HB 107 (2019), substantially similar to provisions in SCS/SB 107 (2019), HCS/HB 2031 (2018), and HCS/SS/SCS/SB 918 (2018), and similar to SCS/SB 107 (2019). SARAH HASKINS
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