SECTION 1Section 3 of chapter 258B of the general laws is hereby further amended by inserting, at the end thereof, the following new subsections:-

(w)  for victims and witnesses who are minor children or adults with disabilities as defined in subsection (k) of section 13 of chapter 265, as so appearing, notwithstanding any law to the contrary, to have a trained service dog with the victim or witness, in addition to the victim witness advocate, in the courtroom during the child’s or adult’s court proceedings,  including testimony, unless, in written findings made and entered, the court finds that the defendant’s constitutional right to a fair trial will be prejudiced;  For purposes of this section, a trained service dog shall mean a dog and their handler who hold a public access certificate from Assistance Dog International.  Said dog will have a minimum of two years of extensive and specialized training and be handled by an individual working professionally in the area of victim services.