Requires DHS to provide psychiatric service dogs to first responders, health care workers, and other frontline workers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A4660

ASSEMBLY, No. 4660

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� AURA K. DUNN

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires DHS to provide psychiatric service dogs to
first responders, health care workers, and other frontline workers suffering
from post-traumatic stress disorders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning service dogs and supplementing Title 4 of
the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� As used in the act:

���� �Post-traumatic stress
disorder� means a mental illness classified within the current version of the
American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM) with symptoms that include, but are not limited to, anxiety, reclusiveness,
night terrors, startle reaction, neurochemical imbalance, dissociative flashback,
startle response, sensory overload, social withdrawal, hyper-vigilance, and
hallucinations.

���� �Psychiatric service dog� means
a dog trained to assist an individual who has a psychiatric or mental
disability, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

���� 2.� a.� In response to the
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Human Services
shall contract with a recognized
service dog
training agency or school to provide psychiatric service dogs trained by the
agency or school to first responders, health care workers, and other frontline
workers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to
the
COVID-19 pandemic
.

���� b.� To be eligible to receive
a trained psychiatric service dog from the Department of Human Services
pursuant to subsection a. of this section, an individual shall:

���� (1)�� be a State resident;

���� (2)�� be a first responder,
health care worker, or frontline worker;

���� (3)�� suffer from
post-traumatic stress disorder and qualify as limited in their ability to
function
due to mental illness under the
Americans with Disabilities Act
"Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990" (42 U.S.C. s.12101 et seq.) due to the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19), as certified by a physician or mental health provider;

���� (4)�� apply to receive a
trained psychiatric service dog on a form and in a manner prescribed by the
Commissioner of Human Services; and

���� (5)�� adhere to the standards
established by the commissioner for receiving a trained psychiatric service dog
including, but not limited to, providing humane shelter and care for the
service dog and obeying all State laws concerning the prevention of cruelty to
animals.

���� c.� An individual who meets
the eligibility requirements of subsection b. of this section shall:

���� (1)�� be provided with a
trained psychiatric service dog, at no cost to the individual;

���� (2)�� procure a license and
register the service dog in the municipality where the individual resides; and

���� (3)�� be responsible for all
costs relating to the dog�s shelter and care.

���� d.� An individual who receives
a psychiatric service dog from the Department of Human Services pursuant to
subsection c. of this section shall have the option to maintain ownership of
the psychiatric service dog, except that an individual who opts not to maintain
ownership of the psychiatric service dog shall return the service dog to the
department.� The Department of Human Services shall then return the service dog
to the training
agency or school that trained
the dog.

���� 3.� The Commissioner of Human
Services, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedures Act," P.L.1968,
c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to
effectuate the purposes of this act.

���� 4.� This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires that in
response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of
Human Services (DHS) contract with a recognized
service dog training agency or school to provide psychiatric service dogs
trained by the agency or school to first responders, health care workers, and
other frontline workers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to
the
pandemic
.

����
As
used in the bill: �post-traumatic stress disorder� means a mental illness classified
within the current version of the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) with symptoms that include,
but are not limited to, anxiety, reclusiveness, night terrors, startle reaction,
neurochemical imbalance, dissociative flashback, startle response, sensory overload,
social withdrawal, hyper-vigilance, and hallucinations; and �psychiatric
service dog� means a dog trained to assist an individual who has a psychiatric
or mental disability, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

����
To
be eligible to receive a trained psychiatric service dog from the DHS, an individual
must: be a State resident; be a first responder, health care worker, or
frontline worker; suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and qualify as
limited in their ability to function
due to
mental illness under the Americans with Disabilities Act
"Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990" due to COVID-19, as certified by a
physician or mental health provider; apply to receive a trained psychiatric
service dog on a form and in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Human
Services; and adhere to the standards established by the commissioner for
receiving a trained psychiatric service dog including, but not limited to,
providing humane shelter and care for the service dog and obeying all State
laws concerning the prevention of cruelty to animals.

����
An
individual who meets the eligibility requirements of the bill will: be provided
with a trained psychiatric service dog, at no cost to the individual; procure a
license and register the service dog in the municipality where the individual
resides; and be responsible for all costs relating to the dog�s shelter and
care.

����
An
individual who receives a psychiatric service dog from the DHS would have the
option to maintain ownership of the psychiatric service dog.� If the individual
opts not to maintain ownership of the service dog, that individual would return
the service dog to the DHS, and the DHS would then return the service dog to
the training
agency or school that trained the
dog.

���� According to the Anxiety and
Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders, including PTSD, are the
most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults, or 18.1
percent of the population, every year.�

���� The COVID-19 pandemic has the
potential to increase stress and anxiety, both because of the fear of catching
the virus and also because of uncertainty about how the outbreak will affect us
socially and economically during the pandemic and for years to come.�
Individuals who may respond more strongly to the stress of the pandemic
include, but are not limited to, older individuals, individuals with chronic
diseases who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, health care
workers, first responders, frontline workers, and individuals with PTSD.

���� A service dog is specifically
task-trained to help an individual with a disability, including PTSD, that
substantially limits one or more life activities.� This bill would allow
individuals suffering from PTSD due to the COVID-19 pandemic to receive service
dogs which can help alleviate the stress, grief, and anxiety, and other PTSD
symptoms that they may be experiencing.