HB 424 - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0711
08/11
HOUSE BILL 424
SPONSORS: Rep. Stringham, Graf. 3
COMMITTEE: Environment and Agriculture
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ANALYSIS
This bill:
I. Directs the department of agriculture, markets, and food to create forms for businesses to request information about service animals.
II. Establishes a committee to study the protection of business owners from requests to accommodate customers with fraudulent or untrained service animals.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0711
08/11
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Service Animal Hospitality Form. Amend RSA 167-D by inserting after section 10 the following new section:
167-D:11 Service Animal Hospitality Form. The department of agriculture, markets, and food shall create forms and make such forms available to lodging or restaurant associations for use, consistent with federal law, to collect information from patrons presenting animals as service animals. The form shall contain the following information:
I. The date.
II. The name of the service animal.
III. The name of the service animal's owner.
IV. An assertion that the animal is a service animal with the notation: "It is a misdemeanor under RSA 167-D:8 to misrepresent a animal as a service animal. Companion and comfort animals are not service animals."
V. The state in which the animal is registered.
VI. The function the service animal performs to assist the owner.
VII. The following notation shall appear at the bottom of the form: "Service animals must stay in the presence and under control of their owner at all times. A service animal cannot be left behind in a hotel, restaurant, or cabin without their owner. Not all facilities are appropriate for service animals. For example, some rooms in hotels or campgrounds are reserved for those with pet allergies. Every reasonable effort is made to accommodate patrons with service animals."
VIII. A place for the owner of the service animal to sign that they have read the form.
IX. A place for the name of a person assisting the owner of the service animal in filling out the form, if applicable.
X. The phone number of the owner of the service animal owner.
2 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study the protection of business operators against requests to accommodate customers with fraudulent or untrained service dogs.
3 Membership and Compensation.
I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:
(a) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(b) Three members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.
4 Duties. The committee shall study the protection of business operators against requests to accommodate customers with fraudulent or untrained service dogs, review restrictions based upon federal law and consider solutions, including requesting federal legislation from the New Hampshire congressional delegation.
5 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Four members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.
6 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2025.
7 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.