Update: On 1/25/24, SB 1238 was passed with amendments, and referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) encourages New Jersey residents to join in expressing support of Senate Bill 1238, which seeks to require employers that serve customers in public facilities to provide training to employees regarding the right of an individual with a disability to have a guide or service dog in a place of public accommodation or a public facility.
AKC strongly supports the training and use of dogs by humans, whose lives are enriched by dogs’ performing essential services. Dogs provide a wide variety of valuable services including: handicapped assistance dogs; drug, bomb, and arson detection dogs; and tracking dogs to locate missing persons and fugitives. AKC encourages the continuation and further development of the use of dogs for these and similar purposes; and supports the right of persons who require a dog to perform essential services to be permitted to keep a dog without regard to the dog’s size, phenotype, or breed.
Click here to read the full text of S1238.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
New Jersey residents are encouraged to urge the members of the Senate Labor Committee to support S1238. The committee is scheduled to consider the bill on Thursday, January 25, 2024.
Senator Joseph A. Lagana, Chair – (201) 576-9199, senlagana@njleg.org
Senator Andrew Zwicker, Vice-Chair – (908) 308-8672, senzwicker@njleg.org
Senator Paul D. Moriarty – (856) 232-6700, senmoriarty@njleg.org
Senator Vincent J. Polistina – (609) 677-8266, senpolistina@njleg.org
Senator Douglas J. Steinhardt – (908) 835-0552, sensteinhardt@njleg.org
AKC Government Relations will provide updates on S1238 and all New Jersey legislation impacting dogs and their breeders and owners. For more information, contact doglaw@akc.org.