Your chicken will have to be legit to get in an airport, if this SC bill becomes law
Workers at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport have been bitten by emotional support animals.
Animals have urinated on the airport's terminal floors, others have defecated and, typically, airport employees have to clean up the mess — not the animal's owner.
"Emotional support animals have become a challenge for airports around the country, as well as here for us at GSP," airport Chief Executive Dave Edwards told state senators Thursday.
Later this year, a panel of S.C. senators will take a second look at legislation to address the problem, allowing charges against owners who misrepresent their pet pig, for instance, as an emotional-support animal. Senators agreed Thursday, however, that more work needed to be done on the proposal before it passed to full committee.
Supporters — including GSP and the S.C. Apartment Association — say a new law is necessary to curb animal owners abusing loopholes in current laws that allow service and emotional support animals in public areas.
Critics say the proposal is unnecessary. Laws already exist to stop abuses, they say. And, they add, the proposal would not stop people from bringing certain animals — for example, chickens — into airports or other public areas.
Currently, rules spelled out in the Americans with Disabilities Act allow public places to turn animals away if they are unruly or not housebroken. In South Carolina, civil penalties also exist for any damage done by a service animal.
State Sen. Scott Talley's proposal would slap a misdemeanor charge on anyone who intentionally misrepresents an animal as a service animal or one in training.
A first offense would carry a fine of $350 to $1,000. A second offense could cost from $600 to $1,000. A third or subsequent offense would carry a fine of $1,000 to $5,000 and up to 10 hours of community service.
"My goal (is not) to impede on the rights of any of our citizens who have legitimate needs," the Spartanburg Republican said.
Federal law addresses service animals in public areas, defining them as either a dog or miniature horse that helps people with disabilities. Several federal laws also address emotional-support animals, but, critics say, those laws are vague. As a result, some states have passed laws cracking down on certain animals in public areas.
For example, in January, a woman was turned away from an United Airlines flight in Newark, N.J., after she brought her emotional-support peacock with her. She tried to buy a ticket for the animal, but the airline declined to sell her one.
Since then, airlines have cracked down on the animals that owners can board with. However, laws addressing service animals do not directly apply to airports or other public areas, putting them at a disadvantage, GSP's Edwards said Thursday.
"We've seen chickens. We've seen cats. We've seen dogs. We've seen small horses," said state Sen. Paul Campbell, R-Berkeley, head of the Charleston airport. "In many cases, (they) are allowed to roam free."
In some instances, the animals can provide support, particularly for those with autism or post-traumatic stress disorder, said Dori Tempio with the Able South Carolina nonprofit group.
Tempio, who uses a wheelchair, attended Thursday's hearing with her service dog. She said Talley's bill might hurt people who have service animals.
"You want to make sure ... that we're not making people who use legitimate service animals ... become victims of inequity, unfairness and casualties of faulty legislation."
This story was originally published March 29, 2018 at 3:34 PM with the headline "Your chicken will have to be legit to get in an airport, if this SC bill becomes law."