HB2897 EngrossedLRB100 08902 RLC 19045 b

1    AN ACT concerning criminal law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
5changing Section 3-12-16 as follows:
 
6    (730 ILCS 5/3-12-16)
7    Sec. 3-12-16. Helping Paws Service Dog Program.
8    (a) In this Section:
9    "Person with a disability" means a person who suffers from
10a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one
11or more major life activities.
12    "Program" means the Helping Paws Service Dog Program
13created by this Section.
14    "Service dog" means a dog trained in obedience and task
15skills to meet the needs of a person with a disability.
16    "Animal care professional" means a person certified to work
17in animal care related services, such as grooming, kenneling,
18and any other related fields.
19    "Service dog professional" means a person certified to
20train service dogs by an agency, organization, or school
21approved by the Department.
22    "Veteran" means an Illinois resident who is a veteran as
23defined in subsection (h) of Section 1491 of Title 10 of the

 

 

HB2897 Engrossed- 2 -LRB100 08902 RLC 19045 b

1United States Code.
2    (b) The Department may establish the Helping Paws Service
3Dog Program to train committed persons to be service dog
4trainers and animal care professionals. The Department shall
5select committed persons in various correctional institutions
6and facilities to participate in the Program.
7    (c) Priority for participation in the Program must be given
8to committed persons who either have a high school diploma or
9have passed high school equivalency testing.
10    (d) The Department may contract with service dog
11professionals to train committed persons to be certified
12service dog trainers. Service dog professionals shall train
13committed persons in dog obedience training, service dog
14training, and animal health care. Upon successful completion of
15the training, a committed person shall receive certification by
16an agency, organization, or school approved by the Department.
17    (e) The Department may designate a non-profit organization
18to select animals from humane societies and shelters for the
19purpose of being trained as service dogs and for participation
20in any program designed to train animal care professionals.
21    (f) After a dog is trained by the committed person as a
22service dog, a review committee consisting of an equal number
23of persons from the Department and the non-profit organization
24shall select a person with a disability or a veteran with
25post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression to receive
26the service dog free of charge.

 

 

HB2897 Engrossed- 3 -LRB100 08902 RLC 19045 b

1    (g) Employees of the Department shall periodically visit
2persons with disabilities who have received service dogs from
3the Department under this Section to determine whether the
4needs of the persons with disabilities or veterans with
5post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression have been
6met by the service dogs trained by committed persons.
7    (h) Employees of the Department shall periodically visit
8committed persons who have been certified as service dog
9trainers or animal care professionals and who have been paroled
10or placed on mandatory supervised release to determine whether
11the committed persons are using their skills as certified
12service dog trainers or animal care professionals.
13(Source: P.A. 98-718, eff. 1-1-15; 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)