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SENATE BILL 37
O3, O4, P1 6lr0608
(PRE–FILED)
By: Senator Simonaire
Requested: June 2, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 12, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Service Animal Programs – Participant Disqualification – Revisions 2
FOR the purpose of revising provisions related to the disqualification of a program 3
participant from the Maryland Children’s Service Animal Program , the Maryland 4
Disability Service Animal Program, or the Maryland Veterans Service Animal 5
Program; and generally relating to the Maryland Children’s Service Animal 6
Program, the Maryland Disability Service Animal Program, and the Maryland 7
Veterans Service Animal Program. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Health – General 10
Section 13–4101 and 13–4104 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
Article – Health – General 15
Section 13–4102(a) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
Article – Human Services 20
Section 7–1501 and 7–1505 21
2 SENATE BILL 37
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 2
(As enacted by Chapters 6 and 13 of the Acts of the General Assembly of the Special 3
Session of 2025) 4
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 5
Article – Human Services 6
Section 7–1502 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 9
(As enacted by Chapters 6 and 13 of the Acts of the General Assembly of the Special 10
Session of 2025) 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – State Government 13
Section 9–957(a) and (e) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 17
Article – State Government 18
Section 9–957(b) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 21
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23
Article – Health – General 24
13–4101. 25
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 26
(b) “DIRECT THREAT ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN THE FEDERAL 27
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. 28
(C) “Eligible child” means a child who has a history of trauma, has been diagnosed 29
with post–traumatic stress disorder, or has been diagnosed with a developmental disability 30
and special health care need under Title V of the Social Security Act. 31
(C) “DIRECT THREAT ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN THE FEDERAL 32
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. 33
[(c)] (D) “Fund” means the Maryland Children’s Service Animal Program Fund 34
established under § 13–4105 of this subtitle. 35
SENATE BILL 37 3
[(d)] (E) “Nonprofit training entity” means a corporation, a foundation, or any 1
other legal entity that: 2
(1) Is qualified under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; 3
(2) (i) Engages in the training of service dogs or support dogs for use by 4
children; or 5
(ii) Uses trained therapy horses for interaction with children; and 6
(3) Has been selected by the Department to provide services under this 7
subtitle. 8
[(e)] (F) “Program” means the Maryland Children’s Service Animal Program 9
established under § 13–4102 of this subtitle. 10
[(f)] (G) “Program participant” means an eligible child who participates in the 11
Program. 12
[(g)] (H) “Successful Program participant” means a Program participant who 13
successfully completes the training or therapy protocol specified by a nonprofit training 14
entity. 15
13–4102. 16
(a) There is a Maryland Children’s Service Animal Program in the Department. 17
13–4104. 18
(a) A nonprofit training entity may disqualify a Program participant from 19
participation in the Program if the nonprofit training entity determines that the Program 20
participant’s involvement in the Program: 21
(1) Presents a danger to the Program pa rticipant’s mental or physical 22
well–being; 23
(2) [Is] PRESENTS a direct threat to [the health and safety of] others; 24
(3) Presents a direct threat to the mental or physical well –being of the 25
service dog, support dog, or therapy horse; or 26
(4) Does not meet the training requirements of the nonprofit training 27
entity. 28
4 SENATE BILL 37
(b) A Program participant may discontinue involvement in the Program for any 1
reason. 2
Article – Human Services 3
7–1501. 4
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 5
(b) “Department” means the Department of Disabilities. 6
(C) “DIRECT THREAT ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN THE FEDERAL 7
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. 8
[(c)] (D) “Eligible individual” means a resident of the State with a disability, as 9
defined in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12102. 10
[(d)] (E) “Fund” means the Maryland Disability Service Animal Program Fund. 11
[(e)] (F) “Nonprofit training entity” means a corporation, a foundation, or any 12
other legal entity that: 13
(1) is tax–exempt under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; 14
(2) engages in the training of service animals for use by eligible 15
individuals; and 16
(3) has been selected by the Department to provide services under this 17
subtitle. 18
[(f)] (G) “Program” means the Maryland Disability Service Animal Program 19
established under this subtitle. 20
[(g)] (H) “Program participant” means an eligible individual who participates in 21
the Program. 22
[(h)] (I) (1) “Service animal” means an animal that is individually trained to 23
do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. 24
(2) “Service animal” does not include an animal that: 25
(i) as a result of the animal’s presence, is meant to deter crime; or 26
(ii) provides only emotiona l support, well –being, comfort, or 27
companionship to an individual. 28
SENATE BILL 37 5
[(i)] (J) “Successful Program participant” means a Program participant who 1
successfully completes the training protocol specified by a nonprofit training entity. 2
7–1502. 3
There is a Maryland Disability Service Animal Program in the Department. 4
7–1505. 5
(a) To be eligible for selection as a nonprofit training entity under [§ 7–1204] § 6
7–1504 of this subtitle, a nonprofit training entity shall: 7
(1) serve the needs of eligible individuals in the State; and 8
(2) generate its own revenue and reinvest the proceeds of that revenue in 9
the growth and development of its programs. 10
(b) A nonprofit training entity may disqualify a Program participant from 11
participation in the Program if the nonprofit training entity determines that the Program 12
participant’s involvement in the Program: 13
(1) presents a danger to the Program participant’s mental or physical 14
well–being; 15
(2) presents a direct threat to others[, as defined by the federal Americans 16
with Disabilities Act]; 17
(3) presents a direct threat to the [service animal’s ] mental or physical 18
well–being OF THE SERVICE ANIMAL; or 19
(4) does not meet the training requirements of the nonprofit. 20
(c) A Program participant may discontinue involvement in the Program for any 21
reason. 22
Article – State Government 23
9–957. 24
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 25
(2) “Eligible family member” means a spouse or dependent of an eligible 26
veteran. 27
(3) “DIRECT THREAT” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN THE FEDERAL 28
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. 29
6 SENATE BILL 37
[(3)] (4) “Eligible veteran” means a veteran who: 1
(i) is a resident of the State; or 2
(ii) receives treatment or care from a U.S. Department of Veterans 3
Affairs or U.S. Department of Defense medical facility in the State. 4
[(4)] (5) “Fund” means the Maryland Veterans Service Animal Program 5
Fund established under subsection (f) of this section. 6
[(5)] (6) “Nonprofit training entity” means a corporation, a foundation, or 7
any other legal entity that: 8
(i) is qualified under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; 9
(ii) 1. engages in the training of service dogs or support dogs for 10
use by veterans; or 11
2. uses trained therapy horses for interaction with veterans; 12
and 13
(iii) has been selected by the Department to provide services under 14
this section. 15
[(6)] (7) “Program” means the Maryland Veterans Service Animal 16
Program established under subsection (b) of this section. 17
[(7)] (8) “Program participant” mean s an eligible veteran or eligible 18
family member who participates in the Program. 19
[(8)] (9) “Service dog” means a dog that is individually trained to do work 20
or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including physical, 21
sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. 22
[(9)] (10) “Successful Program participant” means a Program participant 23
who successfully completes the training or therapy protocol specified by a nonprofit training 24
entity. 25
[(10)] (11) “Support dog” means a dog that is individually trained and that 26
serves as an emotional support or therapy animal that a medical professional, within the 27
medical professional’s scope of practice, has determined provides benefit for an individual 28
with a sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. 29
[(11)] (12) “Therapy horse” includes a horse determined appropriate for 30
interactions with veterans by a stable licensed by the State that: 31
SENATE BILL 37 7
(i) is a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, 1
International (PATH, Intl.) member center; or 2
(ii) has Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association 3
(EAGALA) certified professionals who provide services to veterans. 4
(b) There is a Maryland Veterans Service Animal Program in the Department. 5
(e) (1) A nonprofit training entity may disqualify a Program participant from 6
participation in the Program if the nonprofit training entity determines that the Program 7
participant’s involvement in the Program: 8
(i) presents a danger to the Pr ogram participant’s mental or 9
physical well–being; 10
(ii) [has caused or may potentially cause harm ] PRESENTS A 11
DIRECT THREAT to others[, an animal, or property]; 12
(iii) presents a [danger] DIRECT THREAT to the MENTAL OR 13
PHYSICAL WELL–BEING OF THE service [dog’s] DOG, support [dog’s] DOG, or therapy 14
[horse’s mental or physical well–being] HORSE; or 15
(iv) does not meet the training requirement of the nonprofit 16
TRAINING ENTITY. 17
(2) A Program participant may discontinue involvement in the Program for 18
any reason. 19
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 20
October 1, 2026. 21
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.