,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #edjc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #aa1       
#bjai,ms4 ,scanlon 7for herself and ,mr4
 ,rutherford7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill 
,to allow the use of certified facility 
dogs in criminal proceedings in ,federal
 courts1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,courthouse ,dogs ,act4  #b4 ,use of
 certified facility dog for testimony in
 criminal proceedings  7a7 ,in general  
,chapter #bbc of title #ah1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  
after section #cejb the following3      
#cejc4 ,use of certified facility dog   
for testimony in criminal proceedings   
7a7 ,defined term ,in this section1 the 
term certified facility dog means a dog 
that has graduated from an assistance   
dog organization that is a member of an 
internationally recognized assistance   
dog association that has a primary      

purpose of granting accreditation based 
on standards of excellence in areas of--
  7#a7 assistance dog acquisition2  7#b7
 dog training2  7#c7 dog handler        
training2 and  7#d7 dog placement4  7b7 
,requests for use of certified facility 
dogs ,either party in a criminal        
proceeding in a ,federal court may apply
 for an order from the court to allow a 
certified facility dog1 if available1 to
 be present with a witness testifying   
before the court through--  7#a7        
in-person testimony2 or  7#b7 testimony 
televised by #b-way1 closed-circuit     
television4  7c7 ,conditions for        
approval ,a ,federal court may enter an 
order authorizing an available certified
 facility dog to accompany a witness    
while testifying at a hearing in        
accordance with subsection 7b7 if the   
court finds that--  7#a7 the dog to be  
used qualifies as a certified facility  
dog2  7#b7 the use of a certified       
facility dog will aid the witness in    
providing testimony2 and  7#c7 upon a   

showing by the party seeking an order   
under subsection 7b71 the certified     
facility dog is insured for liability   
protection4  7d7 ,handlers ,each        
certified facility dog authorized to    
accompany a witness under subsection 7c7
 shall be accompanied by a handler who  
is--  7#a7 trained to manage the        
certified facility dog by an assistance 
dog organization described in subsection
 7a72 and  7#b7 a professional working  
in the legal system with knowledge about
 the legal and criminal justice         
processes4  7e7 ,deadline ,the party    
seeking an order under subsection 7b7   
shall apply for such order not later    
than #ad days before the preliminary    
hearing1 trial date1 or other hearing to
 which the order is to apply4  7f7      
,other orders ,a ,federal court may make
 such orders as may be necessary to     
preserve the fairness of the proceeding1
 including imposing restrictions on1 and
 instructing the jury regarding1 the    
presence of the certified facility dog  

during the proceedings4  7g7 ,savings   
provision ,nothing in this section may  
be construed to prevent a ,federal court
 from providing any other accommodations
 to a witness in accordance with        
applicable law4  4  7b7 ,clerical       
amendment ,the chapter analysis for     
chapter #bbc of title #ah1 ,united      
,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  
after the item relating to section #cejb
 the following3  #cejc4 ,use of         
certified facility dog for testimony in 
criminal proceedings4  4