HB 1548: Allow restaurant owners to permit dogs on their property

By Mississippi Center for Public Policy
February 24, 2020

House Bill 1548, sponsored by Rep. Joel Bomgar, would allow restaurants to permit pet dogs on their property if they choose. 

Last summer, the issue of dogs in restaurants came into the spotlight when the Department of Health said this is illegal after the Clarion Ledger ran a story on pet friendly restaurants. MDH cites the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code model, which is housed in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for the prohibition. That model recommends prohibiting animals in food service establishments, save for service dogs. 

This would write the policy of permitting dogs, if a restaurant owner chooses, into law. This would prevent the Department of Health from issuing blanket prohibitions on dogs in restaurants in the future.

MCPP has reviewed this legislation and finds that it is aligned with our principles and therefore should be supported. 

Read HB 1548

Track the status of this bill and all bills in our legislative tracker

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