10/29/2018 – Many new laws go into effect N0vember 1st in Oklahoma.
One of which is House Bill 3282, which defines the term “assistance animal” to mean “an animal that works, provides assistance or performs tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, or provides emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability, including a service animal specifically trained or equipped to perform tasks for a person with a disability, or an emotional support animal that provides support to a person with a disability who has a disability-related need for such support.”
The new law permits a person with a disability to submit a request for a reasonable accommodation to maintain an assistance animal in a dwelling. The bill permits the landlord to request and verify supporting documentation. It exempts a landlord from liability for injuries by a person’s assistance animal permitted on the landlord’s property.
It permits the landlord to remedy a person’s noncompliance if a person obtains a reasonable housing accommodation by knowingly making a false claim or by knowingly providing fraudulent supporting documentation. It permits a prevailing landlord in an eviction action to be awarded court costs and fees, plus damages not to exceed $1,000 from the tenant.
