Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1686 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 605 FILED ON: 1/10/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1686
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Kimberly N. Ferguson and Meghan K. Kilcoyne
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to a commission to study the intentional misrepresentation of a service animal.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester1/10/2025Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex2/4/2025Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester1/24/2025Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/21/2025Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/16/2025Meghan K. Kilcoyne12th Worcester1/13/2025Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida7th Plymouth2/5/2025Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable1/25/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 605 FILED ON: 1/10/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1686
18	18	By Representatives Ferguson of Holden and Kilcoyne of Clinton, a petition (accompanied by
19	19	bill, House, No. 1686) of Kimberly N. Ferguson, Sean Garballey and others for an investigation
20	20	by a special commission (including members of the General Court) relative to the intentional
21	21	misrepresentation of a service animal. The Judiciary.
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act relative to a commission to study the intentional misrepresentation of a service animal.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. (a) There shall be a special legislative commission established pursuant to
31	31	2section 2A of chapter 4 of the General Laws to study and report on the use of service animals in
32	32	3the commonwealth. The commission shall consist of 17 members: 2 of whom shall be the chairs
33	33	4of the joint committee on the judiciary or their designees, who shall serve as co-chairs; 1 of
34	34	5whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1 of whom shall be
35	35	6appointed by the senate president; 1 of whom shall be appointed by the house minority leader; 1
36	36	7of whom shall be appointed by the senate minority leader; 1 of whom shall be the governor or
37	37	8their designee; 1 of whom shall be the attorney general or their designee; 1 of whom shall be the
38	38	9director of the Massachusetts office on disability or their designee; 1 of whom shall be the
39	39	10executive director of the Massachusetts commission against discrimination or their designee; 1 of
40	40	11whom shall be the executive director of the municipal police training committee established
41	41	12pursuant to section 116 of chapter 6 of the General Laws or their designee; 1 of whom shall be 2 of 3
42	42	13the executive director of the mental health legal advisors committee established pursuant to
43	43	14section 34E of chapter 221 of the General Laws or their designee; 1 of whom shall be the
44	44	15president and chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, Inc. or their
45	45	16designee; and 4 members who shall be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be a
46	46	17professional service dog organization headquartered in the commonwealth accredited by
47	47	18Assistance Dogs International, specializing in public advocacy and education and the training of
48	48	19service dogs that has been in existence for not less than 46 years and has placed not less than 900
49	49	20service dogs in the commonwealth, 1 of whom shall be a representative from Tanglewood in the
50	50	21town of Lenox, 1 of whom shall be a member of an association advocating for the interests of
51	51	22retailers in the commonwealth and 1 of whom shall be a person with a disability who resides in
52	52	23the commonwealth who is an employee of a service dog training team in which the service dog
53	53	24has received its training from an Assistance Dogs International accredited service dog
54	54	25organization.
55	55	26 (b) The study shall include, but shall not be limited to: (i) reviewing current federal, state
56	56	27and local laws and procedures governing the use of service animals; (ii) examining the use and
57	57	28benefit of service animals by individuals with disabilities; (iii) investigating the presence,
58	58	29prevalence and impact of fraud, misrepresentation and other misuse of service animals; (iv)
59	59	30researching laws and practices in other jurisdictions with the objective to deter the misuse of
60	60	31service animals; and (v) identifying training and educational opportunities aimed at increasing
61	61	32understanding of laws governing the use of service animals among public officials, law
62	62	33enforcement, business owners and members of the public. The commission shall report on: (A)
63	63	34recommending changes to laws governing the use of service animals, if any, including the
64	64	35definition of “service animal” and whether to introduce legislation prohibiting and civilly 3 of 3
65	65	36penalizing service animal fraud; and (B) determining the feasibility of certifying, registering or
66	66	37licensing service animals.
67	67	38 (c) The commission shall file its report not later than April 1, 2026 with the clerks of the
68	68	39house of representatives and the senate, the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways
69	69	40and means and the chairs of the joint committee on the judiciary.