100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB4912

 

Introduced , by Rep. André Thapedi

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
720 ILCS 5/48-8.5 new

    Creates the Assistance and Service Animal Integrity Act. Defines terms. Provides that a landlord who receives a request from a person to make an exception to the landlord's policy prohibiting animals on the landlord's property because the person requires the use of an assistance animal or service animal may require the person to produce reliable documentation of the disability and disability-related need for the animal, verified under penalty of perjury by the person, only if the disability or disability-related need is not readily apparent or known to the landlord. Provides that requests for an exception are allowed for only one animal unless the documentation specifically indicates more than one is required. Provides requirements for the documentation submitted to a landlord under the Act. Provides that the landlord may require recertification every year. Provides that a landlord shall not be liable for injuries caused by a person's assistance animal or service animal permitted on the landlord's property. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the criminal offenses of misrepresentation of entitlement to an assistance animal or service animal; misrepresentation of an animal as an assistance animal or service animal; misrepresentation of service animal training; and misrepresentation of a medical professional. Provides penalties for violations.


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CORRECTIONAL BUDGET AND IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4912LRB100 18718 HEP 33951 b

1    AN ACT concerning animals.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Assistance and Service Animal Integrity Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7    "Assistance animal" means an animal, other than a service
8animal, that qualifies as a reasonable accommodation under the
9Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq., Section 504 of the
10Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794, or local law.
11"Assistance animal" includes an emotional support animal if the
12animal qualifies as a reasonable accommodation. "Assistance
13animal" does not include an animal that threatens or attacks
14any individual without cause, is not directly controlled in
15common areas, or produces animal waste that is not disposed of
16or cleaned.
17    "Disability" means a physical or mental impairment that
18substantially limits one or more major life activity.
19    "Service animal" means an animal, other than an assistance
20animal, that qualifies as a "service animal" under the federal
21Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and is trained by a
22recognized professional to perform the relevant tasks and
23behavior modification necessary to assure the service animal

 

 

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1does not attack others. "Service animal" does not include an
2animal that threatens or attacks any individual or other animal
3without cause, is not directly controlled in common areas, or
4produces animal waste that is not disposed of or cleaned.
 
5    Section 10. Documentation of disability and
6disability-related need.
7    (a) A landlord who receives a request from a person to make
8an exception to the landlord's policy prohibiting animals on
9the landlord's property because the person requires the use of
10an assistance animal or service animal may require the person
11to produce reliable documentation, which may be a standardized
12form required by the landlord, of the disability and
13disability-related need for the animal, verified under penalty
14of perjury by the person, only if the disability or
15disability-related need is not readily apparent or known to the
16landlord. A request for an exception is allowed for only one
17animal, unless documentation pursuant to subsection (b) of this
18Section specifically indicates more than one is required.
19    (b) Any documentation that a person has a disability and
20requires the use of an assistance animal or service animal as a
21reasonable accommodation in housing pursuant to the Fair
22Housing Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with
23Disabilities Act of 1990, the Illinois Human Rights Act, or
24local law shall:
25        (1) be in writing;

 

 

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1        (2) be made by a medical professional licensed in the
2    field for which the medical opinion is offered;
3        (3) be reliable, based on direct knowledge of the
4    person's disability and disability-related need for the
5    assistance animal or service animal, and verified under
6    penalty of perjury by the medical professional;
7        (4) describe the person's disability-related need for
8    the assistance animal or service animal; and
9        (5) be acknowledged by all other tenants of the
10    property leased by the individual requesting
11    accommodations, if any.
12    (c) A landlord may deny a documented request for
13accommodation pursuant to this Act if other tenants of the
14property leased by the individual requesting accommodations
15also require accommodations that prohibit the presence of the
16animal.
17    (d) A landlord may require recertification of
18documentation pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section no
19sooner than one year after receipt of the most recent
20documentation received pursuant to subsection (b) of this
21Section.
 
22    Section 15. Immunity. Notwithstanding any other law to the
23contrary, a landlord shall not be liable for injuries caused by
24a person's assistance animal or service animal permitted on the
25landlord's property as a reasonable accommodation to assist the

 

 

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1person with a disability pursuant to the Fair Housing Act,
2Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans
3with Disabilities Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act, or any
4other federal, State, or local law.
 
5    Section 20. The Criminal Code of 2012 is amended by adding
6Section 48-8.5 as follows:
 
7    (720 ILCS 5/48-8.5 new)
8    Sec. 48-8.5. Misrepresentation concerning assistance
9animals and service animals.
10    (a) As used in this Section, "assistance animal" and
11"service animal" have the meanings given to them in Section 5
12of the Assistance and Service Animal Integrity Act.
13    (b) A person commits misrepresentation of entitlement to an
14assistance animal or service animal when he or she
15intentionally:
16        (1) misrepresents to another that a person has a
17    disability or disability-related need for the use of an
18    assistance animal or service animal in housing; or
19        (2) makes materially false statements for the purpose
20    of obtaining documentation for the use of an assistance
21    animal or service animal in housing.
22    (c) A person commits misrepresentation of an animal as an
23assistance animal or service animal when he or she
24intentionally:

 

 

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1        (1) creates a document that misrepresents an animal as
2    an assistance animal or service animal for use in housing;
3        (2) provides a document to another falsely stating that
4    an animal is an assistance animal or service animal for use
5    in housing; or
6        (3) fits an animal that is not an assistance animal or
7    service animal with a harness, collar, vest, or sign
8    indicating that the pet is an assistance animal or service
9    animal for use in housing.
10    (d) A person commits misrepresentation of service animal
11training if the person intentionally creates a document that
12misrepresents that the person trained an animal as a service
13animal for use in housing.
14    (e) A person commits misrepresentation of a medical
15professional for purposes of the Assistance and Service Animal
16Integrity Act when he or she, while holding himself or herself
17out as a medical professional, intentionally:
18        (1) misrepresents to another that a person has a
19    disability or disability-related need for the use of an
20    assistance animal or service animal in housing; or
21        (2) makes materially false statements for the purpose
22    of creating documentation for the use of an assistance
23    animal or service animal in housing.
24    (f) Sentence.
25        (1) Misrepresentation of entitlement to an assistance
26    animal or service animal is a Class 4 felony.

 

 

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1        (2) Misrepresentation of an animal as an assistance
2    animal or service animal is a Class A misdemeanor.
3        (3) Misrepresentation of service animal training is a
4    Class A misdemeanor.
5        (4) Misrepresentation of a medical professional for
6    purposes of the Assistance and Service Animal Integrity Act
7    is a Class A misdemeanor.