Bill Text: CT HB06725 | 2015 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Animal-assisted Therapy Services.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2015-07-06 - Signed by the Governor [HB06725 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2015-HB06725-Introduced.html
General Assembly |
Raised Bill No. 6725 | ||
January Session, 2015 |
LCO No. 3189 | ||
*03189_______KID* | |||
Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN |
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Introduced by: |
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(KID) |
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AN ACT CONCERNING ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY SERVICES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17a-22ee of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) For purposes of this section: [,]
(1) "Animal-assisted activity" means any activity that involves a team consisting of a registered handler and therapy animal interacting with individuals within the state;
(2) ["animal-assisted therapy"] "Animal-assisted therapy" means goal-directed intervention in which [animals are] a team consisting of a registered handler and a therapy animal is used as an integral part of the [crisis] critical incident response process to aid individuals who have experienced mental, physical or emotional trauma;
(3) ["animal-assisted therapy community"] "Animal-assisted therapy community" means the local or regional entities capable of engaging in animal-assisted activities or providing animal-assisted therapy to individuals within the state; [and]
(4) ["animal-assisted activity organization"] "Animal-assisted activity organization" means any entity involved in training, evaluating [and] or registering members of the animal-assisted therapy community; [.]
(5) "Animal-assisted critical incident response team" means a team of registered handlers and therapy animals that have been (A) trained, evaluated and registered by an animal-assisted activity organization, and (B) mobilized by the Department of Children and Families to engage in animal-assisted activities or provide animal-assisted therapy;
(6) "Registered handler" means an individual who has been screened, trained and registered by a national animal therapy organization such as Pet Partners, Therapy Dogs International or a similar organization, to engage in animal-assisted activities or provide animal-assisted therapy, or both; and
(7) "Therapy animal" means any animal trained to provide comfort to individuals who have (A) experienced mental, physical or emotional trauma, (B) witnessed, or have been a victim of, an act of violence, or (C) behavioral health care needs. "Therapy animal" does not include a "social comfort animal" providing visitation services to aged, infirm or chronically ill individuals or a "service animal" providing task-trained services to disabled individuals.
(b) Not later than January 1, [2014] 2016, the Commissioner of Children and Families shall, within available appropriations, develop and implement training for certain employees of the Department of Children and Families and mental health care providers on (1) the healing value of the human-animal bond for children, (2) the value of therapy animals in dealing with traumatic situations, and (3) the [benefit of an] benefits of animal-assisted activities and animal-assisted therapy. [program.]
(c) Not later than January 1, [2014] 2016, the Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with the Commissioner of Agriculture and within available appropriations, shall [identify a coordinated volunteer canine crisis response team. Such team shall consist of various handlers and canines that have been trained, evaluated and registered by an animal-assisted activity organization to provide aid to individuals during and after traumatic events] develop a protocol to identify and mobilize animal-assisted critical incident response teams throughout the state. Such [team] teams shall operate on a volunteer basis and shall be available to engage in animal-assisted activities or to provide animal-assisted therapy, or both, within twenty-four hours of receiving notice to do so.
(d) Not later than July 1, [2014] 2016, the Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with [the Governor's Prevention Partnership and] the animal-assisted therapy community, shall, within available appropriations, develop [a crisis response program utilizing the services of the coordinated volunteer canine crisis response team identified pursuant to subsection (c) of this section to provide] a protocol to utilize animal-assisted activities and animal-assisted therapy to provide aid to children and youths living with trauma and loss. Such services shall meet all licensing requirements required by the state, and, at a minimum, be directly supervised by a mental health professional, as defined in section 10-76t.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
from passage |
17a-22ee |
Statement of Purpose:
To create more efficiency in the provision of animal-assisted therapy services in the state and to enable the use of therapy animals other than canines.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]