HB 329 – ASSISTANCE ANIMALS PASSED THE SENATE 38-0 AND WAS SENT TO THE GOVERNOR FOR HIS SIGNATURE!
We had so much help from House and Senate Leadership as well as Committee members in both houses in getting HB 329 passed. KMHI would appreciate it if you take a minute to send them a thank you. Write a note to your legislator and while you’re at it, right a thank you note to Representative Adam Koenig, the primary sponsor for HB 329. He did a great job making sure our bill passed.
His home address is:
Rep. Adam Koenig
170 Herrington Ct, #12
Erlanger KY 41018
Make sure you send a text, email or note today or next week if possible. If mailing a thank you note, send it to the home address. The 2018 Legislative Session will end soon so home emails and addresses are the best way to communicate with your legislator at this point.
To find home addresses and emails, go to
www.lrc.ky.gov
and click on “Who’s My Legislator?” Once you type your address at the top of the page, it will find your district. Click BESIDE the pointer and it will give you your legislators with contact information.
Thank you, in advance, for taking the time to send thank you notes and emails.
We also appreciate Rick Robinson, General Counsel and Senior Vice President for State and Local Affairs for traveling to Kentucky to testify on behalf of this legislation. He was also very instrumental in getting Rep. Koenig to sponsor the bill and for providing language for the legislation.
A big thank you also to Top Shelf Lobby, Leigh Ann Thacker and Travis Phillips did a great job with helping KMHI lobby for passage of this bill.
If you have any questions, please give me a call at 502-330-5060.
Betty Whittaker
Executive Director
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HB 329
Talking Points
The Issue
– While the use of service and assistance animals are mostly utilized appropriately by tenants in need of such animals, many others take unfair advantage of the law requiring landlords to accept such animals sidestepping no-pet policies. Many of these get certifications for their pets from on-line websites.
HB 329
–
a)
sets forth the rights and responsibilities of a tenant renting a dwelling while using an Assistance Animal, and
b)
creates the criminal offense of Misrepresentation of an Assistance Animal (offense).
i. The offense applies to a person who knowingly and intentionally misrepresents an animal in his or her possession as an Assistance Animal for the purpose of obtaining the rights and privileges granted by local, state and federal law to persons with disabilities with service animals.
ii.
The offense also applies to persons in a therapeutic relationship with the person claiming a disability who knowingly and intentionally misrepresents an animal in that person’s possession as an Assistance Animal when it is not.
LEASE CALL NOW.
