News of the Week From Your Elected Officials

NJ Legislative District 39:

Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Bob Schroeder (R-Bergen), and Assemblywoman Nancy F. Muñoz (R-Essex, Morris, Somerset and Union), which establishes new crimes and increases penalties for those who attack or inflict harm on service animals, including seeing eye dogs, search and rescue dogs, or other animals used in law enforcement was overwhelmingly approved by the General Assembly this week with a 77-0-1 vote.

The legislation upgrades the crime of killing a dog, horse, or other animal owned or used by a law enforcement agency, or a search and rescue dog, from a third to a second degree crime, and increases the charge of purposely maiming or inflicting harm upon a dog, horse or other animal owned or used by a law enforcement agency from a fourth to a third degree crime.

“I am proud to sponsor this bipartisan legislation that improves safety for service animals in our state,” said Schroeder. “Incidents of attack on service animals, particularly guide dogs, are all-too-common. This bill is the first step in enacting stricter laws to protect service animals. I believe we can accomplish even more, such as including the imposition of fines when dogs or animals attack service dogs. Towards that effort, I will continue advocating for service dogs and the people who rely on them.”

Assemblywoman Muñoz expressed hope that A-832 would help raise awareness of the danger that interference poses to service animals as they work.

“The safety of the service dog handler depends on the dog’s ability to focus and concentrate on the task at hand,” said Muñoz. “These highly-trained animals provide a valuable service, and need to be treated respectfully while fulfilling their duties.”

Assemblyman Schroeder has worked closely with The Seeing Eye, based in Morristown , on the issue of attacks on service animals. Representatives from the organization were in attendance at today’s voting session to witness the passage of A-832.

Schroeder expressed hope that legislation he introduced last September, known as “Dusty’s Law,” would also advance through the committee process and come before the Assembly for a vote. The bill, A-3226, which is also co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Muñoz, addresses dog-on-dog attacks and interference with service animals. The bill is named after “Dusty,” a seeing-eye puppy in Bergen County who was still in training to assist a visually impaired person when he was attacked in July 2010. Though the dog survived his serious physical injuries, he was unable to continue in the training program due to the emotional trauma he suffered.

“Dusty’s Law” establishes a mandatory civil fine of $100 to $500 for a person who owns any animal which attacks, injures or interferes with a service dog, horse or other animal, including when it is in the process of being trained.

“Continuing to raise public awareness of this issue is critical. ‘Dusty’s Law,” will send a message that people are responsible not only for their own actions, but those of the animals they own,” explained Schroeder. “This would be the first piece of legislation that affords this type of protection to service animals who provide assistance, as well as to those who are in training as well. I encourage my colleagues across the aisle who supported today’s legislation to join me in making ‘Dusty’s Law’ a reality, too.”

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Sen. Frank Lautenberg

The senator introduced a bill on Thursday that would provide college students with fire safety education and training. The Campus Fire Safety Education Act of 2011 would create a new competitive grant program to initiate, expand, or improve a fire safety education program on a college's campus.  Schools could apply on their own or in collaboration with a nonprofit fire safety organization or public safety department, and may also include a fraternity and sorority on the application.  The bill would encourage schools to use these funds to educate students living both on- and off-campus.

Lautenberg also introduced a bill which would repeal funding for abstinence-only sex education. The “Repealing Ineffective and Incomplete Abstinence-Only Program Funding Act” would strike Title V, Section 510 from the Social Security Act.  That provision has funded abstinence-only programs for nearly 15 years.  The bill would reprogram $50 million annually to comprehensive sex education programs funded through the Personal Responsibility Education (PREP) program.  PREP funds comprehensive sex education programs that provide both abstinence and contraception information to teens and educates them about preventing sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, and unintended pregnancy, as well as life skills that help youth make healthy decisions.   

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Senate Votes:

Both Sen. Lautenberg and Sen. Robert Menendez voted this week for the Patent Reform Act of 2011 which would "overhaul the nation's patent system and change the way they are issued and challenged" according to MegaVote, a website that tracks how elected officials vote. The measure passed the Senate, 95-5.

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Rep. Steve Rothman (9th District):

Rep. Rothman voted no on a bill that, "would end a Federal Housing Administration program that helps homeowners who owe more than their homes are worth refinance their mortgages," according to MegaVote. The bill passed in the House but according to MegaVote, it is unlikely to proceed in the Senate.

Rothman also voted no on a bill that "would terminate the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Emergency Homeowner Loan Program and redirect the unused funds to paying down the national debt," said MegaVote. Loans are given out by this program to homeowners who have lost their jobs and need emergency funds. It passed the House but does not have wide support to proceed in the Senate.