Service dogs-training and crimes.

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not specify the exact conditions under which penalties apply, only that they are increased.

Service Dogs Training and Crimes

This law extends rights to service animals during training and increases penalties for harming them.

What This Bill Does

• Extends the rights and obligations applicable to service and assistance animals to include those that are still in training.
• Increases the penalty for injuring or killing a service animal from up to six months in jail and $750 fine to up to one year in jail and $5,000 fine.

Who It Names or Affects

• People with disabilities who use or train service animals
• Individuals who harm service animals

Terms To Know

Service Animal

A dog trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.

Assistance Animal

An animal that works, provides assistance or performs tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify how training service animals will be regulated.
• It is unclear if there are specific penalties for harming an assistance animal other than a service animal.

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 25LSO-0724

Bill No.:

SF0147

Effective:

Immediately

LSO No.:

25LSO-0724

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0057

Chapter No.:

99

Prime Sponsor:

Hutchings

Catch Title:

Service dogs-training and crimes.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Service and assistance animals.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act extends the rights and obligations applicable to persons using service and assistance animals to include animals that are still in training.

This act increases the penalty for persons who harm service or assistance animals.

The current penalty is imprisonment for up to six (6) months in jail and a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00).

The act increases the penalty to imprisonment for up to one (1) year and a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000.00).

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

25LSO-0724

ORIGINAL Senate

ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0147

ENROLLED ACT NO. 57,

SENATE

SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 General Session

AN ACT relating to the protection and rights of blind and disabled persons; specifying that the rights and obligations applicable to service and assistance animals apply to service animals that are being trained; increasing penalties related to injuring or killing a service or assistance animal; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 35
‑
13
‑
205(a)(iv) and (viii) and 35
‑
13
‑
206(a) are amended to read:

35
‑
13
‑
205.

Definitions
.

(a)

As used in this article:

(iv)

"Assistance animal" means an animal that works, provides assistance or performs tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, or provides emotional support that alleviates one
(1)
or more identified symptoms or effects of a person's disability;

(viii)

"Service animal" means as defined in 28 C.F.R. 35.104 and 28 C.F.R. 36.104 and includes service miniature horses pursuant to 28 C.F.R. 35.136 and 28 C.F.R. 36.302(c).

"Service animal" shall include a dog that is being trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability.

35
‑
13
‑
206.

Injuring or killing a service or assistance animal prohibited; penalties
.

(a)

Any person who knowingly, willfully and without lawful cause or justification inflicts, or permits or directs any animal under his control or ownership to inflict, serious bodily harm, permanent disability or death upon any service animal or assistance animal is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for
not more than six (6) months
less than one (1) year
, a fine of not more than
seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00)
five thousand dollars ($5,000.00)
, or both.

Section 2
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

1