Service dogs are allowed everywhere disabled people go. N.J. lawmakers want to make everyone knows.
In this file photo, members from the Seeing Eye and pups in training march in the Morris County St. Patrick's Day Parade. A bill that would require employers to teach their employees the law protecting the rights of people who use service dogs passed a state Assembly Committee Monday. Saturday March 11, 2017. Morristown, NJ. NJ Advance Media for NJ.
“Unfortunately, some businesses remain unclear about state regulations protecting New Jersey’s disabled residents who require service dogs. These animals are not pets,” Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker , one of the bill’s sponsors, said in a statement after the vote Monday. “This requirement would help clear up any confusion or misinformation out there on the treatment of service animals in public places.
The bill, if ultimately signed into law, would require the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development to create a pamphlet for employers. Workers must sign a form acknowledging they received and read the pamphlet. The bill also requires the Division on Civil Rights and the New Jersey State Bar Association to develop a training program at no cost to employers.