Bill Text: NJ A3502 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Exempts guide dogs and service dogs temporarily placed in foster homes from dog licensing and registration tag requirements.*
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 5-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-12-02 - Approved P.L.2015, c.163. [A3502 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A3502-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DAVID C. RUSSO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)
Assemblyman SCOTT T. RUMANA
District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Exempts service dogs temporarily placed in foster homes from dog licensing and registration tag requirements.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning service dogs and amending P.L.1941, c.151.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.2) is amended to read as follows:
2. Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog of licensing age shall annually or every third year, in accordance with a 3-year dog license or renewal thereof issued under subsection b. of section 12 of this act (C. 4:19-15.12b), apply for and procure from the clerk of the municipality or other official designated by the governing body thereof to license dogs in the municipality in which he resides, a license and official metal registration tag for each such dog so owned, kept or harbored, and shall place upon each such dog a collar or harness with the registration tag securely fastened thereto. A person or group temporarily caring for a dog placed in a foster home as part of a formalized training to be a guide, service, or hearing ear dog shall be exempt from applying for and procuring a license and registration tag for the dog while the dog is placed in the foster home.
(cf: P.L.1982, c. 203, s. 1)
2. Section 3 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.3) is amended to read as follows:
3. The person applying for the license and registration tag shall pay the fee fixed or authorized to be fixed in section 12 of this act, and the sum of $1.00 for a one-year registration tag or $3.00 for a three-year registration tag for each dog; and for each renewal, the fee for the license and for the registration tag shall be the same as for the original license and tag; and said licenses, registration tags and renewals thereof shall expire no later than June 30 in the year stated on the license; except that this expiration date shall not require a municipality to alter its schedule for administering rabies inoculations to any dog to be licensed and registered; nor shall this expiration date require a municipality to alter its schedule for renewing licenses and registration tags, provided that the registration period precedes June 30. The governing body of a municipality may stagger the expiration of such annual licenses so long as all expirations occur no later than June 30 in the calendar year stated on the license.
Only one license and registration tag shall be required in any licensing year for any dog owned in New Jersey, and such license and tag shall be accepted by all municipalities as evidence of compliance with this section.
Dogs used as guides for blind persons and commonly known as "seeing-eye" dogs, dogs used to assist [handicapped] persons with developmental disabilities and commonly known as "service dogs," or dogs used to assist deaf persons and commonly known as "hearing ear" dogs shall be licensed and registered as other dogs hereinabove provided for, except that the owner or keeper of [such] a guide, service, or hearing ear dog shall not be required to pay any fee therefor, and dogs temporarily placed in foster homes as part of a formalized training to be guide, service, or hearing ear dogs shall not be required to be licensed and registered while placed in foster homes.
License forms and uniform official metal registration tags designed by the [State] Department of Health shall be furnished by the municipality and shall be numbered serially and shall bear the year of issuance and the name of the municipality.
(cf: P.L 1996, c. 113, s. 1)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill stipulates that a person or group caring for a dog placed in a foster home as part of the dog's training to be a guide, service, or hearing ear dog is exempt from dog licensing and registration tag requirements, and that a guide, service, or hearing ear dog placed in foster homes for training do not have to be licensed or registered, as is the case with all other dogs.
Specifically, the bill amends section 2 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.2) to exempt a person or group temporarily caring for a dog placed in a foster home as part of a formalized training to be a guide, service, or hearing ear dog from applying for and procuring a license and registration tag for the dog while the dog is placed in the foster home. Currently, an owner or keeper of a dog, 7 months of age or older, is required to apply for and procure a dog license and a registration tag.
The bill also amends section 3 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.3) to specify that dogs temporarily placed in foster homes as part of a formalized training to be guide, service, or hearing ear dogs are not be required to be licensed and registered while placed in foster homes. Current law requires that all dogs, including guide, service, or hearing ear dogs, are licensed and registered.
Finally, the bill deletes the term "handicapped" and replaces it with "developmental disabilities" to reflect person-first language.
