TRENTON — Legislation that would permit the use of service dogs in school for students who are eligible for special education programs and services for certain developmental disabilities cleared the Senate Education Committee on Thursday.
This legislation, similar to laws permitting seeing-eye dogs for blind students, would allow students with autism or other developmental disabilities to bring certified service dogs into school to assist with their learning needs. Parents of eligible students would be required to receive written recommendation from a physician, establishing the need for a medically-recommended dog.
"By allowing children to use medically-recommended service dogs in school, we are taking a large step towards making sure our students can reach their educational potential," said Sen. Donald Norcross, the bill's sponsor.
The bill heads to the state Senate for consideration.
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