Department of Public Administration and Policy, School of Public and International Affairs, 355 S. Jackson Street, 203B Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
Disabil Health J. 2020 Jul;13(3):100907. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2020.100907. Epub 2020 Feb 15.
Service animals are an invaluable resource to improving health among individuals with disabilities, and their use is steadily growing. Yet, United States' current federal and state policies surrounding service animals are contradictory and burdensome, and often do not adequately protect the rights of service animal handlers.
To review each state's service animal policies surrounding criminal interference, misrepresentation of a service animal, and public accessibility. To also identify inconsistencies among states' individual policies, between state policies, and between state and federal policies, and discuss the implications of these inconsistencies.
Westlaw legal research database was used to comprehensively review each state's policies regarding the use of a service animal.
26 states have one or more policies that are incongruous with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Further, 34 states have contradictions within their own policies and between other states. 31 states provide protections against fraudulent service animals, and there are variations in the degree of protection and ability to enforce these laws.
Because service animals are a vital resource to this particularly vulnerable population, it is imperative that our policies encourage their use and protect the rights of handlers. Yet, inconsistencies among current policies create confusion and ultimately deter individuals with disabilities from taking full advantage of their service animal. We are in need of clear, cohesive policy at all levels of government in order to improve health literacy and ensure that those with disabilities are able to benefit from the positive health impacts of a service animal.
服务动物是改善残疾人士健康的宝贵资源，其使用量稳步增长。然而，美国目前围绕服务动物的联邦和州政策相互矛盾且繁琐，往往不能充分保护服务动物 handlers 的权利。
审查每个州关于刑事干扰、服务动物虚假陈述和公共可达性的服务动物政策。还确定各州个别政策之间、州政策之间以及州和联邦政策之间的不一致之处，并讨论这些不一致的影响。
使用 Westlaw 法律研究数据库全面审查每个州关于使用服务动物的政策。
26 个州有一项或多项政策与《美国残疾人法》不一致。此外，34 个州在其自身政策内部以及与其他州之间存在矛盾。31 个州提供了针对欺诈性服务动物的保护，并且在保护程度和执行这些法律的能力方面存在差异。
由于服务动物对这一特别脆弱的人群是至关重要的资源，因此我们的政策必须鼓励他们的使用并保护 handlers 的权利。然而，现行政策之间的不一致造成了混乱，最终阻碍了残疾人士充分利用他们的服务动物。我们需要在各级政府制定明确、一致的政策，以提高健康素养，并确保残疾人士能够受益于服务动物带来的积极健康影响。
