PRINTER'S NO. 647
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
640
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY DINNIMAN, FONTANA, GREENLEAF, YUDICHAK, ALLOWAY,
RAFFERTY, COSTA, STEFANO, WARD AND LEACH, MARCH 23, 2015
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 23, 2015
AN ACT
Amending the act of October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222),
entitled, as amended, "An act prohibiting certain practices
of discrimination because of race, color, religious creed,
ancestry, age or national origin by employers, employment
agencies, labor organizations and others as herein defined;
creating the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in the
Governor's Office; defining its functions, powers and duties;
providing for procedure and enforcement; providing for
formulation of an educational program to prevent prejudice;
providing for judicial review and enforcement and imposing
penalties," further providing for right to freedom from
discrimination in employment, housing and public
accommodation.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 3 of the act of October 27, 1955
(P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania Human Relations
Act, amended December 20, 1991 (P.L.414, No.51), is amended to
read:
Section 3. Right to Freedom from Discrimination in
Employment, Housing and Public Accommodation.--
(a) The opportunity for an individual to obtain employment
for which he is qualified, and to obtain all the accommodations,
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advantages, facilities and privileges of any public
accommodation and of any housing accommodation and commercial
property without discrimination because of race, color, familial
status, religious creed, ancestry, handicap or disability, age,
sex, national origin, the use of a guide or support animal
because of the blindness, deafness or physical handicap of the
user or because the user is a handler or trainer of support or
guide animals is hereby recognized as and declared to be a civil
right which shall be enforceable as set forth in this act.
(b) All forms of public transportation shall permit a
therapy dog properly harnessed, accompanying a person with a
disability or an owner or handler of a therapy dog or a person
licensed to train therapy dogs, to aid and guide a disabled
person and to ride on all vehicles operated for transportation,
and no charge shall be made for the transportation of such dog.
(c) The following words and phrases shall have the meanings
given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly
indicates otherwise:
The term "recognized therapy dog training organization" means
any of the following:
(1) Pet Partners of Bellevue, Washington;
(2) Therapy Dogs Incorporated of Cheyenne, Wyoming;
(3) Therapy Dogs International of Flanders, New Jersey;
(4) Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs of Morris Plains, New
Jersey; or
(5) Comfort Caring Canines of Hatfield, Pennsylvania.
The term "therapy dog" means any dog that is trained to work
or perform specific tasks for the benefit of persons, including
those with special needs, autism, drug addiction, distress due
to emotional and physical abuse and clinical depression or
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bipolar disease by a recognized therapy dog training
organization and is actually used for such purpose.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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