Emotional support animal bill progresses

Emotional support animal bill progresses

Landlords can request medical documentation from tenants needing service animals to prevent false claims

NEW TONIGH━ THE STATE OFFLORIDA CRACKING DOWN ONFRAUDULENT CLAIMS OF PEOPLENEEDING EMOTIONAL SUPPORTANIMALSTHE SENATE PASSED A BILL STATINGTHAT LANDLORDS ARE ALLOWED TOREQUEST DOCUMENTATION FOR PEOPLENEEDING THE ACCOMMODATION INHOPES TO ELIMINATING FALSECLAIMS. HOWEVER, THE BILL STILLNEEDS TO BE APPROVED BY THEHOUSE.FOX 4’S MIANA MASSEY HAS THESTORY.21-32123-136(TRACK)THE FLORIDA SENATE HAS PASSEDA BILL PROHIBITING LANDLORDSFROM DISCRIMINATING AGAINSTPEOPLE NEEDING EMOTIONAL SUPPORTANIMALS OR DENYING THEM HOUSING.THE MEASURE WOULD REQUIRETENANTS TO PROVIDE PROPERDOCUMENTATION INDICATING A NEEDFOR THE ANIMAL."if there disability relatedneed is not really apparent thehousing provider could then askfor documentation to verify theneed for that animal inhousing," AMANDA GILL// SWFLApartment Association(TRACK)THERE HAVE BEEN MANY FALSECLAIMS REGARDING THE NEED FORSERVICE ANIMALSKAREN MORRIS HAS 4 EMOTIONALSUPPORT CHICKENS, SHE HASWORD FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKENADVANTAGE OF THE THERAPY"I see where everybody is goinghey enough is enough.

We gotlamas, we got parrots, we gotelephants, we got monkeys, we’vegot everything on the ark is nowan emotional support animalcutthe crap’" said KAREN MORRIS//OWNER OF EMOTIONAL SUPPORTCHICKENS(TRACK)THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA APARTMENTASSOCIATION SAYS IT ISN’TUNCOMMON FOR PEOPLE TO TRY TOWORK THEIR WAY AROUND THE RULES,USING FALSE DOCUMENTATION FROONLINE SITES"often times what we arediscovering is people are usingthis fraudulent EFAdocumentation to get around someof those restrictions or to getaround paying a pet fee" AMANDAGILL//SWFL Apartment Association(TRACK)MORRIS SAYS ITS TIME THE STATEOF FLORIDA ACKNOWLEDGES PEOPWITH REAL NEEDS FOR EMOTIONALSUPPORT ANIMALS, AND PUNISHTHOSE WHO ABUSE THE SYSTEM."if your lying to people and youget caught at it youre going tohave to pay the consequence forit" KAREN MORRIS// OWNER OFEMOTIONAL SUPPORT CHICKENSLL TAGTHE BILL STILL NEEDS APPROVALFROM THE HOUSE, IF IT TAKESEFFECT, THOSE CAUGHT LYING THELAW COULD FACE UP TO 60 DAYS