Denied a ride because of your service dog? NJ lawmaker says enough is enough

🐶Lawmaker wants tougher penalties for denying service dogs access to rides in NJ

🐶 Police would be able to ticket offenders instead of victims filing lawsuits.

🐶 Bill aims to protect disabled residents’ right to transportation and end discrimination.

TRENTON — There have been many stories around New Jersey of people with service animals being denied transportation, whether it’s for public rides or through ride-share companies like Uber and Lyft.

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So, one New Jersey lawmaker wants to put a stop to discrimination against service dogs and their handlers with a bill he has introduced that would increase penalties for businesses that refuse access to individuals accompanied by service animals.

Lawmaker pushes to stop discrimination against service dogs

State Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, whose legislation designating the Seeing Eye dog as the official “State Dog of New Jersey” was signed into law in 2020, said he is horrified to hear such stories of discrimination.

The Seeing Eye, Inc. headquarters in Morristown is the oldest guide dog school in the U.S.

Currently, the only recourse a person has if they are denied transportation with their service animal is to file a civil suit, which most don't do, Bucco said. He said people can file a complaint with police, but there is nothing the officer can do because there is no criminal penalty associated with this kind of discrimination.

New fines proposed for businesses that deny access

“So, what I tried to do in this legislation is to give the individual the ability to file a complaint in municipal court, whether it’s a petty disorderly offense or a disorderly offense, to punish the individual that discriminated against them as a result of their disability,” Bucco said.

Under his legislation, a police officer can write a ticket to the offender for a petty disorderly offense, which carries a fine of up to $500. A second and subsequent offense would be subject to fines of up to $1,000.

The Republican lawmaker said the bill will be amended to eliminate any potential jail time that would normally accompany a petty or disorderly persons offense.

Protecting the rights of riders with disabilities

“This would just be a monetary fine that can be enforced in municipal court, and it’s just to curtail the abuse that we’re starting to see for these folks who are blind and have service animals, or other folks who are disabled and have service animals,” Bucco said.

No one should be denied transportation because of their disability and need for a service dog, Bucco added.

This law will now give a person the ability to have a complaint filed by a police officer and have their day in municipal court. If the person is found guilty of violating the law, they will be subject to a penalty, Bucco said.

Bill awaits action during New Jersey’s lame-duck session

Right now, Bucco’s legislation is waiting in the Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee during the lame-duck session.

He is hoping that during the lame-duck session, he’ll be able to get it in front of the committee, passed, and then on the floor for a vote before the end of this session.

Bucco made it clear that the legislature must act now and send a clear message that New Jersey stands firmly for accessibility, inclusion, and respect for individuals with disabilities.

“I think the more that we hear this, the more it cries out for a remedy, and this bill will certainly do that to those folks that rely on service animals, and rely on being able to get reliable transportation,” Bucco said.

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