Committee approves amended bill tightening certification and ownership for comfort facility dogs

The Senate Committee considered a substantial amendment (0515S) to Senate Bill 573, which governs certification and standards for comfort facility dogs. The amendment alters training and ownership rules and was adopted after extended debate.

Committee discussion focused on several substantive changes in the amendment: it increases required training frequency (one hour per month rather than one hour per quarter), adds psychological first‑aid training to the curriculum, and includes a provision that any comfort facility dog beginning initial training after the bill’s effective date must be owned by the facility where it is employed to be certified under the chapter. The amendment also specifies that decisions about spaying or neutering a comfort facility dog will be made based on the recommendation of the dog’s veterinarian.

Several senators and counsel raised concerns about the phrasing "comfort facility dog" versus "facility comfort dog," asking whether the new wording unintentionally narrowed which dogs or settings would qualify; other senators questioned how the ownership requirement would work for hospitals, nursing homes and libraries that typically rely on volunteer handlers or outside organizations rather than owning animals. Supporters said the ownership language responded to stakeholder concerns about leasing and indemnity; others asked for flexibility for common settings that do not own dogs.

After discussion, the committee adopted the amendment and moved the bill out on consent. The chair noted the House has a related bill with somewhat different language and said the committee would watch companion legislative action.

Next steps: SB 573 will proceed as amended and be carried forward by the committee for further legislative consideration.