New Hampshire SB 573: relative to the controlled drug prescription health and safety program and making an appropriation therefor.

Bill Text

SB 573 - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

02/19/2026 0683s

2026 SESSION

 26-2239

 08/09

SENATE BILL 573

AN ACT establishing certification standards for facility comfort dogs.

SPONSORS: Sen. Birdsell, Dist 19; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Pearl, Dist 17; Sen. Ward, Dist 8; Rep. Moffett, Merr. 4; Rep. Morton, Hills. 39

COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration

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ANALYSIS

 This bill establishes certification standards for facility comfort dogs, facility comfort dog handlers, and facility comfort dog handling teams.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

02/19/2026 0683s 26-2239

 08/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT establishing certification standards for facility comfort dogs.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 New Chapter; Comfort Facility Dog Certification. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 167-D the following new chapter: 

CHAPTER 167-E

COMFORT FACILITY DOG CERTIFICATION

 167-E:1 Definitions. In this chapter:

 I. "Comfort Facility dog" means a specifically trained dog that provides emotional support, comfort, and crisis response to individuals, groups, and communities in various settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, disaster relief areas, emergency response/public safety agencies and other places where people may be experiencing stress, trauma, or crisis. Comfort facility dogs are trained to interact gently and empathetically with people, offering unconditional support and non-judgmental companionship to help alleviate anxiety, reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance overall well-being and resilience. Comfort facility dogs are not considered service dogs or emotional support animals. 

 II. "Comfort facility dog handler" means an emergency response or public safety worker who is responsible for the care, training, and supervision of a comfort facility dog during its interactions with individuals, groups, and communities in need of emotional support or crisis response. A comfort facility dog handler shall ensure that it behaves appropriately, follows commands, and maintains a calm and comforting presence in various environments. A comfort facility dog handler shall be trained to understand canine behavior, communication, and emotional support techniques, allowing them to effectively guide the comfort facility dog's interactions with individuals, groups, or communities in distress or crisis situations. 

 III. "Emergency response or public safety worker" means any law enforcement officer certified under RSA 106-L, certified county corrections officer, sheriff or deputy sheriff, state police officer, civilian law enforcement employee, civilian county corrections employee, any call, volunteer, or regular firefighter, civilian fire department employee, rescue or ambulance worker, including ambulance service, emergency medical personnel, first responder service, and volunteer personnel, telecommunicators, and local dispatchers, including any retired emergency response or public safety workers as defined in this section. 

 IV. "Local dispatcher" means a person who determines the location, status, and assistance required by callers and walk-in customers for public safety services and dispatches the appropriate police, fire, ambulance, or other units to provide needed emergency services at the state, city, town, or private emergency services level. 

 V. "Telecommunicator" means an employee of the department of safety, division of emergency services and communications who is responsible for receiving at the public safety answering point telephone calls made to E911 and transferring or relaying such calls to public or private safety agencies. 

 VI. "Comfort facility dog team" means a trained comfort facility dog and its handler, working collaboratively to provide emotional support, comfort, and crisis response to individuals, groups, and communities in various settings. The comfort facility dog team shall undergo specialized training to develop skills in empathy, active listening, and non-verbal communication, enabling them to effectively respond to the emotional, behavioral, physical, cognitive, and relational needs of those they encounter. 

 VII. "Comfort facility dog trainer" means any person who is employed to train dogs for the use of a comfort facility dog or is volunteering and training to raise dogs for the use of comfort facility dogs by emergency response or public safety worker, or an individual trainer who helps an emergency response or pu