Utah § 53G-9-211 Therapy animal handling -- Policy.

Utah Statutes

§ 53G-9-211 — Therapy animal handling -- Policy.

Utah § 53G-9-211

Title 53GPublic Education System -- Local Administration

Ch. 53G-9Health and Welfare

Part 53G-9-2Miscellaneous Requirements

This text of Utah § 53G-9-211 (Therapy animal handling -- Policy.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Utah Code Ann. § 53G-9-211 (2026).

Text

(1)As used in this section:

(1)(a) "Animal-assisted intervention" means an intervention designed to promote improvement in an individual's physical, social, emotional, or cognitive functioning through interactions with a specially trained animal.

(1)(b) "Local education agency" means a school district or charter school.

(1)(c) (1)(c)(i) "Therapy animal" means an animal that:

(1)(c)(i)(A) provides affection and comfort to an individual for emotional support;

(1)(c)(i)(B) is accompanied by a therapy animal handler; and

(1)(c)(i)(C) is trained to provide animal-assisted intervention.

(1)(c)(ii) "Therapy animal" does not include a service animal or support animal as those terms are defined in Section 26B-6-801.

(1)(d) "Therapy animal handler" means an individual who is trained to handle a t

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(1) As used in this section:

(1)(a) "Animal-assisted intervention" means an intervention designed to promote improvement in an individual's physical, social, emotional, or cognitive functioning through interactions with a specially trained animal.
(1)(b) "Local education agency" means a school district or charter school.
(1)(c) (1)(c)(i) "Therapy animal" means an animal that:

(1)(c)(i)(A) provides affection and comfort to an individual for emotional support;
(1)(c)(i)(B) is accompanied by a therapy animal handler; and
(1)(c)(i)(C) is trained to provide animal-assisted intervention.
(1)(c)(ii) "Therapy animal" does not include a service animal or support animal as those terms are defined in Section 26B-6-801.
(1)(d) "Therapy animal handler" means an individual who is trained to handle a therapy animal for animal-assisted interventions.
(2) (2)(a) If a school within a local education agency provides animal-assisted interventions through therapy animals, the local education agency shall adopt a policy for proper handling of a therapy animal on school grounds.
(2)(b) The policy described in Subsection (2)(a) shall include:
(2)(b)(i) local or national certification or registration requirements for a therapy animal and therapy animal handler;
(2)(b)(ii) guidelines for when a therapy animal and therapy animal handler are allowed on school grounds;
(2)(b)(iii) notice requirements for parents, students, and school faculty and staff regarding the use of a therapy animal on school grounds; and
(2)(b)(iv) guidelines to prevent students and staff who have an animal allergy or are uncomfortable around animals from interacting with a therapy animal on school grounds.
(3) This section does not require a school to allow the use of a therapy animal.