S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7967
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 16, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. TAPIA -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to rights of persons
with disabilities to be accompanied by a guide dog or service dog
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 47 of the civil rights law, as amended by chapter
404 of the laws of 1986, is amended to read as follows:
§ 47. Use of public facilities [by persons with a disability] AND
OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS. 1. No person shall be denied admittance to and/or
the equal use of and enjoyment of any public facility solely because
said person is a person with a disability and is accompanied by a guide
dog, hearing dog or service dog. NO PERSON WITH A DISABILITY SHALL BE
DENIED THE RIGHT TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A GUIDE DOG OR SERVICE DOG IN ANY
PLACE OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, RESORT OR AMUSEMENT, OR HOUSING ACCOMMO-
DATION.
2. [For the purposes of this section the term "public facility" shall
include, but shall not be limited to, all modes of public and private
transportation, all forms of public and private housing accommodations
whether permanent or temporary, buildings to which the public is invited
or permitted, including those maintained by the state or by any poli-
tical subdivision thereof, all educational facilities and institutions,
including those maintained by the state or by any political subdivision
thereof, all places where food is offered for sale, all theatres,
including both live playhouses and motion picture establishments and all
other places of public accommodations, convenience, resort, enter-
tainment, or business to which the general public or any classification
of persons therefrom is normally or customarily invited or permitted.]
NO EXTRA CHARGE OR SECURITY DEPOSIT SHALL BE IMPOSED ON A PERSON WITH A
DISABILITY FOR A GUIDE DOG OR SERVICE DOG IN A HOUSING ACCOMMODATION;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT SUCH PERSON SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE DONE
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11383-01-5
A. 7967 2
TO THE PREMISES OR FACILITIES OF SUCH HOUSING ACCOMMODATION BY SUCH
GUIDE DOG OR SERVICE DOG.
§ 2. Section 47-b of the civil rights law, as amended by chapter 404
of the laws of 1986, subdivisions 1, 4 and 7 as amended by chapter 141
of the laws of 2015 and subdivision 3 as amended by chapter 536 of the
laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
§ 47-b. [Miscellaneous] DEFINITIONS AND MISCELLANEOUS provisions. 1.
Persons with a disability accompanied by guide dogs, hearing dogs or
service dogs shall be guaranteed the right to have such dogs in their
immediate custody while exercising any of the rights and privileges set
forth in this article, provided that in instances of employment pursuant
to section forty-seven-a of this article, such dog has been trained by a
qualified person. Blind persons shall, further, have the right to carry
a cane in their immediate custody while exercising any of the rights and
privileges set forth in this section.
2. No person or legal entity, public or private, shall attempt to
impose or maintain any direct or indirect additional charge for the
admittance of a guide dog, hearing dog or service dog accompanying a
person with a disability, nor shall any conditions or restrictions not
specifically set forth in this article be imposed on the person's rights
as set forth herein.
3. A person engaged in training a dog to guide or otherwise aid
persons with a disability, while engaged in such training activities,
and a person with a disability for whom the dog is being trained, shall
have the same rights and privileges set forth for persons with a disa-
bility in this article.
4. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE
THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
(A) The term "guide dog", or "hearing dog" shall mean a dog that is
under the control, consistent with federal regulations implementing the
Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III, at 28 CFR 36.302(c), of the
person using or training it and has been or is being trained to guide or
otherwise to aid a person with a disability.
[5. For the purposes of this article the] (B) THE term "disability"
shall have the same meaning as provided for in subdivision twenty-one of
section two hundred ninety-two of the executive law.
[6.] (C) THE TERM "SERVICE DOG" MEANS ANY DOG UNDER THE CONTROL,
CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES ACT, TITLE III, AT 28 CFR 36.302(C), OF THE PERSON USING OR
TRAINING IT, AND THAT HAS BEEN OR IS BEING INDIVIDUALLY TRAINED TO DO
WORK OR PERFORM TASKS FOR THE BENEFIT OF A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY.
(D) THE TERM "PUBLIC FACILITY" MEANS AND SHALL INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT
BE LIMITED TO, ALL MODES OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION, TNC VEHI-
CLES AS DEFINED BY SECTION SIXTEEN HUNDRED NINETY-ONE OF THE VEHICLE AND
TRAFFIC LAW, ALL FORMS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS
WHETHER PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY, BUILDINGS TO WHICH THE PUBLIC IS INVITED
OR PERMITTED, INCLUDING THOSE MAINTAINED BY THE STATE OR BY ANY POLI-
TICAL SUBDIVISION THEREOF, ALL EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES AND INSTITUTIONS,
INCLUDING THOSE MAINTAINED BY THE STATE OR BY ANY POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
THEREOF, ALL PLACES WHERE FOOD IS OFFERED FOR SALE, ALL THEATRES,
INCLUDING BOTH LIVE PLAYHOUSES AND MOTION PICTURE ESTABLISHMENTS AND ALL
OTHER PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, CONVENIENCE, RESORT, ENTER-
TAINMENT, OR BUSINESS TO WHICH THE GENERAL PUBLIC OR ANY CLASSIFICATION
OF PERSONS THEREFROM IS NORMALLY OR CUSTOMARILY INVITED OR PERMITTED.
A. 7967 3
(E) THE TERM "PLACE OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, RESORT OR AMUSEMENT"
SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED BY SECTION TWO HUNDRED NINETY-TWO
OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
5. Any law, rule, or regulation conflicting with any provision of this
article is, to the extent of said conflict only, deemed to be superseded
by the provisions of this article.
[7. "Service dog" means any dog under the control, consistent with
federal regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act,
Title III, at 28 CFR 36.302(c), of the person using or training it, and
that has been or is being individually trained to do work or perform
tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.]
§ 3. Section 47-c of the civil rights law, as amended by chapter 295
of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows:
§ 47-c. Penalties. 1. Any person or legal entity, public or private,
violating any provision of this article shall be guilty of a violation.
2. Any person or legal entity, public or private, violating [section
forty-seven and/or] subdivision one or two of section forty-seven-b of
this article two or more times within a two year period shall be guilty
of a violation punishable by a fine of one thousand dollars.
3. ANY PERSON OR LEGAL ENTITY, PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, WHO KNOWINGLY
VIOLATES SECTION FORTY-SEVEN OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE GUILTY OF A MISDE-
MEANOR AND SUBJECT TO A FINE NOT EXCEEDING TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED
DOLLARS.
§ 4. The civil rights law is amended by adding a new section 47-d to
read as follows:
§ 47-D. PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION. 1. THE DIVISION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE
OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, SHALL DEVELOP AND
IMPLEMENT A PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO INFORM THE
PUBLIC, BUSINESSES, HOUSING PROVIDERS, TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, AND
GOVERNMENT ENTITIES ABOUT:
(A) THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY
GUIDE DOGS AND SERVICE DOGS AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS ARTICLE;
(B) PENALTIES ASSOCIATED WITH VIOLATIONS OF THIS ARTICLE; AND
(C) APPROPRIATE CONDUCT AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS
ACCOMPANIED BY GUIDE DOGS AND SERVICE DOGS.
2. THE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN UNDER SUBDIVISION ONE
OF THIS SECTION SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
(A) ONLINE RESOURCES, INCLUDING INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS ON STATE AGEN-
CY WEBSITES;
(B) DISTRIBUTION OF PRINTED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO PLACES OF PUBLIC
ACCOMMODATION, RESORT OR AMUSEMENT AND TRANSPORTATION HUBS; AND
(C) OUTREACH AND TRAINING PROGRAMS TARGETING BUSINESSES, PUBLIC
SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND HOUSING PROVIDERS.
3. THE DIVISION OF HUMAN RIGHTS SHALL PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR HOW BUSI-
NESSES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS MAY COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
ARTICLE AND MAY ALSO PARTNER WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCACY
GROUPS TO PROMOTE AWARENESS.
4. THE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGN UNDER THIS SECTION
SHALL COMMENCE NO LATER THAN NINETY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF
THIS SECTION.
§ 5. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.