HBA-CCH H.B. 1782 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1782 By: Naishtat Human Services 3/2/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Assistance animals are trained to assist persons with various disabilities, not just individuals who are blind. Under current law, assistance animals in training cannot be denied admittance into a public facility when accompanied by its trainer or a blind handler. As a result of the statutory language, some owners and managers of public facilities have been hesitant to admit an assistance animal that is not trained as a seeingeye assistant. House Bill 1782 clarifies that animals in training to assist persons with various disabilities cannot be denied admittance into a public facility when the animal is accompanied by its trainer or handler. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1782 amends the Human Resources Code to prohibit any public facility from denying an assistance animal in training from admittance when accompanied by an approved trainer or the animal's handler. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.