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The Florida legislature recently passed SB 1084 to create clarity and more consistent legal standards for emotional support animals (ESA) in housing. On July 1, 2020, the law went into effect. This article discusses some of the most significant aspects of the new law. People with disabilities and disability-related needs for an ESA are entitled to reasonable accommodations to have the animal, which cannot be deemed a “pet” for purposes of exclusion or fees What Are Emotional Support Animals (ESA)? This new law narrowly relates to ESA, not service animals or assistance animals. Though many use the terms interchangeably, they have different legal meanings which should be understood. An ESA may be any species that provides comfort to people with disabilities by addressing a disability-related need. The new Florida law defines an ESA as “an animal that does not require training to do work, perform tasks, provide assistance, or provide therapeutic emotional support by virtue of its presence, which alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability.” The use of an ESA must be supported by a qualified physician or mental health professional based on a disability-related need. Under federal and Florida law, the disabled are entitled reasonable accommodations for ESA in housing and air travel. ESA Documentation Criteria The new Florida statute sets forth the proper criteria to determine whether an ESA applicant has a disability. If a disability is not readily apparent, the person may be required to give reliable information that reasonably supports its existence. Various types of supporting documentation may be offered. The list includes a determination of disability from a government agency, proof of eligibility for financial housing assistance based on a disability, and information from a qualified health care provider with personal knowledge of the person’s disability, among other acceptable forms of evidence. In addition to defining criteria to determine a disability exists, the law delivers guidance on establishing that a person has a disability-related need for the ESA. A qualified health care provider may be asked to identify the particular assistance or therapeutic emotional support the animal gives. As with determining the existence of the disability itself, such information is considered reliable if the practitioner has personal knowledge of the disability and acts within the scope of treating the disabled person. The law also establishes new protections for ESA applicants. It prohibits housing providers from requesting certain kinds of information, including medical records, relating to the claimed disability. The applicant may not be required to use a specific form and a request can’t be denied solely for not following a routine method for supplying supporting information. These anti-fraud reforms include making it a misdemeanor to knowingly providing false information or otherwise misrepresent oneself as having a disability or disability-related need for an ESA. A healthcare professional who states that a person has a disability or need for an ESA without personal knowledge of the disability is now subject to disciplinary action. Significantly, the new statute addresses the proliferation of a cottage industry of certifying authorities selling ESA certificates without standards. It has become easy to download certificates online without submitting legitimate proof of a disability or related ESA need. Now, an ESA registration or certificate of any kind, by itself, is insufficient to establish a person has a disability or disability-related need for an ESA.