Bush signs bills on shaken babies, guide dogs [Jeb recognizes the special work of seizure dogs]

AP ^ | April 25, 2002 | AP

[summer]

FL Gov. Jeb Bush signing new bills.

Bush signs bills on shaken babies, guide dogs

Thursday, April 25, 2002

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE - People who intimidate, hurt or kill guide dogs can be charged with a crime and new parents will be given information about how shaking babies can hurt infants under bills Gov. Jeb Bush signed into law Wednesday.

The Department of Health will be required to prepare a brochure describing the dangers of shaking infants and young children and how to manage situations that tempt caregivers to shake babies.

Bush was joined by Rep. Dennis Baxley, who sponsored the bill (SB 1766), and Janet Goree, a Clearwater woman who lost a granddaughter to shaken baby syndrome.

"This is a very personal issue for me because my fourth son Jeffrey was a victim of shaken child syndrome resulting in blindness and brain damage," said Baxley, R-Ocala, said of the son he and his wife adopted after the injuries. "Fortunately he's one that survived."

Goree's granddaughter, Kimberlin West, fell into a coma after her father shook her and died three years later.

"My granddaughter's medical costs exceeded $1 million in the three years she lived and most of that was paid by Medicaid, so this is costing us as taxpayers a fortune, and you can't put a price tag on the emotional costs of the family," she said.

Bush was later joined by several guide and service dogs as he signed a bill that would:

Make it a second-degree misdemeanor to jeopardize the safety of a guide dog.

Make it a first-degree misdemeanor to cause injury or death of a guide dog through reckless behavior.

Make it a third-degree felony to intentionally injure or kill a guide dog.

The bill (HB 1819) also gives the same rights to people who use service dogs because of seizure disorders as those who use them for blindness or other disabilities.

[summer]

From article:

The bill (HB 1819) also gives the same rights to people who use service dogs because of seizure disorders as those who use them for blindness or other disabilities.

The NYT wrote an article about this bill, as FL is the first state in the nation to recognize the important work by dogs helping owners who suffer from epileptic seizures.

[summer]

For index.

[summer]

FYI, see post #1. Thought you might find it interesting, as I read your post on another thread.

[summer]

FYI. :)

[mafree]

GO JEB!!!

[johniegrad]

Thanks for the bump, teach.

[Jennifer in Florida]

Big bump for JEB! :)

[summer]

Thanks for bumping this thread. :)