Bill Text: IL HJR0061 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to research programs of identification and training for therapy dogs, especially therapy dogs designated for veterans, and provide a report to the General Assembly on possibilities for legislation to provide a certification program for therapy dogs in the State of Illinois.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Failed) 2019-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HJR0061 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-HJR0061-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois owes a debt of gratitude to | ||||||
3 | veterans who have protected our nation by serving in the | ||||||
4 | military; and
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5 | WHEREAS, The high rate of veteran suicide is a tragedy that | ||||||
6 | Illinois should be compelled
to do everything within its power | ||||||
7 | to prevent; the Veteran Suicide Prevention Task Force
gathered | ||||||
8 | information and testimony on ways to give support to veterans | ||||||
9 | in need and to prevent
veteran suicide; and
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10 | WHEREAS, The Veteran Suicide Prevention Task Force found | ||||||
11 | one method of suicide
prevention is encouraging veterans to own | ||||||
12 | therapy dogs; therapy dogs provide many positives
to veterans | ||||||
13 | such as comfort in unfamiliar places; therapy dogs provide | ||||||
14 | constant affectionate
companionship and give a sense of duty to | ||||||
15 | a veteran that bolsters his or her sense of self; and
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16 | WHEREAS, There is no current standard of identification or | ||||||
17 | regulation of therapy dogs in
Illinois; the Illinois Veteran | ||||||
18 | Suicide Prevention Task Force recommended the State of Illinois
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19 | develop a licensing program for therapy dogs; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Other states also have programs for therapy dogs; | ||||||
21 | Tennessee has a
program called "Patriot Paws"; Illinois is host |
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1 | to a program in Chicago called "Valor", which
provides an | ||||||
2 | in-house eight-week program for veterans and dogs; therefore, | ||||||
3 | be it
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4 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
5 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE | ||||||
6 | CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the Department of Financial and | ||||||
7 | Professional Regulation to research
programs of identification | ||||||
8 | and training for therapy dogs, especially therapy dogs | ||||||
9 | designated for
veterans, and provide a report to the General | ||||||
10 | Assembly on possibilities for legislation to provide
a | ||||||
11 | certification program for therapy dogs in the State of | ||||||
12 | Illinois; and be it further
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13 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
14 | delivered to the Department of Financial and Professional | ||||||
15 | Regulation.
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