Summer’s right around the corner, but lawmakers’ debates regarding ESAs are heating up much faster. As always, the CertaPet team is ready to bring you the latest scoop regarding the Service and Emotional Support Animal community. This week, we’re taking you to Louisiana, where Senators have been discussing introducing legislation curbing the spread of ‘false’ ESAs.
Louisiana Is Primed To Introduce Laws To Tighten The Net Around Questionable ESA Certifications
Recently, Louisiana lawmakers have been grappling with a familiar issue: misuse of Emotional Support Animal certifications.
The controversy regarding ESA certification is nothing new. It’s been at the forefront of recent news reports due to incidents of misrepresentation of pets to bypass airlines’ no-pet policies, prompting a bill to contain this misuse.
Termed House Bill 407, the legislation is sponsored by Rep. Joe Stagni, R-Kenner, and already passed the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. Next in line is the Senate floor consideration. Contents of the Bill include prohibiting healthcare professionals from certifying ESAs for non-disabled individuals and misrepresenting ESAs as Service Dogs.
As with most such situations, the critics of the current certifying process quote the surge of ESAs in the last few years and the fact that ESAs aren’t as ‘trained’ as Service Animals. Stagni referred to a 2019 article that quotes ESA applications growing by 9,000% since 2011.
However, animal activists often counter these stats by pointing out the pandemic played a massive role in the surge of ESAs. COVID-19 was a global pandemic, leading to lockdowns and self-quarantine.
This led to a sharp increase in mental health challenges, and one of the more popular methods of coping with stress, isolation, and anxiety was turning to ESAs. Besides that, activists point out that Service Animals aren’t easily affordable. The training received by Service Dogs, in turn, makes them expensive to acquire (though you can always train yourself!).
During a hearing, Senators Patrick McMath, R-Covington, and Jay Luneau, D-Pineville, discussed the issue, with McMath joking about Luneau’s fictional peacock Support Animal. The Senator alluded to a 2018 incident when a United Airlines passenger tried to board the flight, claiming her peacock was an ESA.
While Stagni’s Bill garnered support among some senators, certain provisions giving landlords absolute immunity from lawsuits for injuries or damages caused by ESAs raised concerns. However, as a housing crisis looms, giving absolute power to any side could worsen the situation.
Source: Louisiana Illuminator
CertaPet’s Thoughts on This Week’s News
While there’s nothing wrong about trying to contain questionable certification practices regarding ESAs (and trust us – we’ve seen quite a few), House Bill 407 could be problematic for genuine cases in the Emotional Support and Service Animal community. As always, we’ll inform our readers of this developing situation as soon as there are updates.
These days, the internet is rife with scams when it comes to fraudulent ESA websites and fake ESA letters. As a result, it’s absolutely essential for those in genuine need of an emotional support animal to understand what a legitimate ESA letter contains as to avoid getting scammed by services that don’t comply with federal and state regulations. Only a legitimate ESA letter is recognized under federal law, and only a legitimate ESA letter entitles an individual to certain rights when it comes to reasonable accommodation from housing providers.
If you’re living with a mental illness, getting an emotional support animal could really help your recovery. These loving animals could ease your symptoms and help you live a happier, fuller life. If you’re ready to start the process, take our 5-minute pre-screening test for free. We’ll connect you with a licensed mental health professional, who will have a consultation with you. Then, if you qualify, you’ll get your ESA letter in no time.