Section 53G-9-211 - Therapy animal handling - Policy(1) As used in this section: (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.(b) "Local education agency" means a school district or charter school.(c)(i) "Therapy animal" means an animal that: (A) provides affection and comfort to an individual for emotional support;(B) is accompanied by a therapy animal handler; and(C) is trained to provide animal-assisted intervention.(ii) "Therapy animal" does not include a service animal or support animal as those terms are defined in Section 26B-6-801.(d) "Therapy animal handler" means an individual who is trained to handle a therapy animal for animal-assisted interventions.(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.(b) The policy described in Subsection (2)(a) shall include: (i) local or national certification or registration requirements for a therapy animal and therapy animal handler;(ii) guidelines for when a therapy animal and therapy animal handler are allowed on school grounds;(iii) notice requirements for parents, students, and school faculty and staff regarding the use of a therapy animal on school grounds; and(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.Amended by Chapter 328, 2023 General Session ,§ 108, eff. 5/3/2023.Added by Chapter 309, 2021 General Session ,§ 1, eff. 5/5/2021.Technically renumbered to avoid duplication of section number also enacted in SB107, Chapter 435.