ASSEMBLY, No. 163

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

217th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER

District 28 (Essex)

Assemblyman  BOB ANDRZEJCZAK

District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)

Assemblyman  ADAM J. TALIAFERRO

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

Assemblywoman  L. GRACE SPENCER

District 29 (Essex)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Concerns training of employees about access to public facilities for individuals with service or guide dogs.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

  


An Act concerning training of employees about access to public facilities for individuals with service or guide dogs and supplementing P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-1 et seq.).

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    Any employer who has one or more employees who serve customers or other individuals in a place of public accommodation or other public facility, or who otherwise have the ability to provide or deny access to the place or facility, shall provide training to those employees regarding the right of an individual with a disability to have a guide or service dog in a place of public accommodation or other public facility pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1971, c.130 (C.10:5-29 et seq.), P.L.1977, c.456 (C.10:5-29.1 et seq.), and the "Americans with Disabilities Act" of 1990, Pub.L.101-336 (42 U.S.C. s.12101 et seq.).  An employer may satisfy the training requirements of this section by utilizing training that may be provided at no cost by the Division on Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety, the New Jersey State Bar Association, or any other entity, or may, at its discretion, implement a training program at its own cost.  The provisions of this section shall be administered and enforced by the division pursuant to the authority vested in it by the "Law Against Discrimination," P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-1 et seq.).  The division shall set minimum standards for the training and make those standards available upon request.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill requires any employer who has one or more employees serving customers or other individuals in a place of public accommodation or other public facility, or otherwise has the ability to provide or deny access to the place or facility, to provide training to those employees regarding the right of an individual with a disability to have a guide or service dog in places of public accommodation or other public facilities under the relevant provisions of State and federal law.  An employer may satisfy the training requirement of the bill by utilizing training that may be provided at no cost by the Division on Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety, the New Jersey State Bar Association, or any other entity, or may, at its discretion, implement a training program at its own cost.