General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5039
February Session, 2014 LCO No. 410
*00410_______KID*
Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
Introduced by:
(KID)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 5039
February Session, 2014
LCO No. 410
*00410_______KID*
Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
Introduced by:
(KID)
AN ACT CONCERNING ANIMAL-ASSISTED SERVICES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17a-22ee of the 2014 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(a) For purposes of this section, "animal-assisted therapy" means goal-directed intervention in which animals are used as an integral part of the crisis response process to aid individuals who have experienced mental, physical or emotional trauma; "animal-assisted therapy community" means the local or regional entities capable of providing animal-assisted therapy to individuals within the state; [and] "animal-assisted activity" means an activity that involves animals interacting with individuals within the state; "animal-assisted activity organization" means any entity involved in training, evaluating and registering members of the animal-assisted therapy community; and "canine disaster stress relief team" means any entity consisting of handlers and canines that have been trained, evaluated and registered by an animal-assisted activity organization to provide aid to individuals during and after traumatic events.
(b) Not later than January 1, 2014, the Commissioner of Children and Families shall, within available appropriations, develop and implement training for certain employees of the Department of Children and Families and mental health care providers on (1) the healing value of the human-animal bond for children, (2) the value of therapy animals in dealing with traumatic situations, and (3) the benefit of [an] animal-assisted activity, animal-assisted therapy [program] and a canine disaster stress relief team.
(c) Not later than [January] July 1, 2014, the Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with the Commissioner of Agriculture and within available appropriations, shall identify a coordinated volunteer canine [crisis response] disaster stress relief team. [Such team shall consist of various handlers and canines that have been trained, evaluated and registered by an animal-assisted activity organization to provide aid to individuals during and after traumatic events.] Such team shall operate on a volunteer basis and shall be available to provide animal-assisted therapy within twenty-four hours of receiving notice to do so.
(d) Not later than [July 1, 2014] January 1, 2015, the Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with the Governor's Prevention Partnership and the animal-assisted therapy community, shall, within available appropriations, develop [a crisis response] an animal-assisted activity program [utilizing the services of the coordinated volunteer canine crisis response team identified pursuant to subsection (c) of this section] to provide animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted activity to children and youths living with trauma and loss.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2014 17a-22ee
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2014
17a-22ee
Statement of Purpose:
To facilitate the development and implementation of a state-wide animal-assisted therapy program.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]