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HB19-1220

Court Facility Dog During Witness Testimony

Type Bill
Session 2019 Regular Session
Subjects
Courts & Judicial

Concerning allowing a court facility dog to accompany a witness during testimony.

Bill Summary:

Court facility dog - requirements - jury instruction. The act allows a court, upon motion of a party or upon its own motion, to allow a witness to testify during criminal proceedings while a court facility dog is in the courtroom if certain conditions are satisfied.

The act requires a court facility dog to have graduated from training in providing support to witnesses testifying during proceedings without causing a distraction during proceedings. The training must be provided by a properly accredited organization.

The act allows the court discretion to instruct the jury, if a jury instruction is requested by a party who objected to the presence of the court facility dog or upon agreement of the parties, on the role of the court facility dog so that the presence of the court facility dog does not improperly influence the jury.

The act clarifies that nothing in the act precludes or interferes with the rights of a qualified individual with a disability who is accompanied by a service animal pursuant to state or federal law.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status

Became Law

Introduced

Passed

Became Law

Related Documents & Information

Date Version Documents
05/01/2019 Signed Act PDF
04/29/2019 Final Act PDF
04/12/2019 Rerevised PDF
04/11/2019 Revised PDF
03/20/2019 Reengrossed PDF
03/19/2019 Engrossed PDF
03/05/2019 Introduced PDF
Date Version Documents
03/18/2019 PA1 PDF
Date Version Documents
07/15/2019 FN2 PDF
03/12/2019 FN1 PDF
Activity Vote Documents
Refer House Bill 19-1220 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 5-0. Vote summary
Activity Vote Documents
Adopt amendment L.005. The motion passed without objection. Vote summary
Adopt amendment L.006 The motion passed without objection. Vote summary
Adopt amendment L.004 The motion passed without objection. Vote summary
Refer House Bill 19-1220, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 11-0. Vote summary
Date Calendar Motion Vote Vote Document
04/16/2019 Senate Amendments REPASS
63
AYE
1
NO
1
OTHER
Vote record
04/16/2019 Senate Amendments CONCUR
63
AYE
1
NO
1
OTHER
Vote record
03/20/2019 Third Reading BILL
63
AYE
2
NO
0
OTHER
Vote record
Date Calendar Motion Vote Vote Document
04/12/2019 Third Reading BILL
30
AYE
2
NO
3
OTHER
Vote record
Date Amendment Number Committee/ Floor Hearing Status Documents
04/11/2019 L.008 Second Reading Passed [**] PDF
03/14/2019 L.004 HOU Judiciary Passed [*] PDF
Date Location Action
05/01/2019 Governor Governor Signed
04/29/2019 Governor Sent to the Governor
04/29/2019 Senate Signed by the President of the Senate
04/29/2019 House Signed by the Speaker of the House
04/16/2019 Senate House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
04/15/2019 Senate House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
04/12/2019 Senate Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
04/11/2019 Senate Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
04/08/2019 Senate Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/25/2019 Senate Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
03/20/2019 House House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
03/19/2019 House House Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee
03/14/2019 House House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
03/05/2019 House Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary
Effective Date Chapter # Title Documents
07/01/2019 138 Court Facility Dog During Witness Testimony PDF