1-1     By:  Naishtat (Senate Sponsor - Moncrief)             H.B. No. 1782
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 2, 2001;
 1-3     April 3, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
 1-4     and Human Services; May 4, 2001, reported favorably by the
 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 4, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the right of certain persons to enter a public facility
 1-9     with an assistance animal.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1. Section 121.003(i), Human Resources Code, is
1-12     amended  to read as follows:
1-13           (i)  An assistance animal in training shall not be denied
1-14     admittance to any public facility when accompanied by an approved
1-15     trainer who is an agent of an organization generally recognized by
1-16     agencies involved in the rehabilitation of persons who are disabled
1-17     as reputable and competent to provide training for assistance
1-18     animals, and/or their [blind] handlers.
1-19           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-20     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-21     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-22     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-23     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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