Pups for Patriots Act of 2017

Summary: Pups for Patriots Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a pilot program under which it shall enter into contracts with qualified nonprofit organizations to provide service dogs to eligible veterans who:   served on active duty in the Armed Forces on or after September 11, 2001, have been diagnosed with severe or extreme post-traumatic stress or with a severe traumatic brain injury by a VA doctor or clinical social worker, have received evidence-based treatment and remains symptomatic of severe or extreme post-traumatic stress or severe traumatic brain injury, and  commit to an evaluation by a VA doctor or social worker at least twice a year.   A qualified nonprofit organization is a nonprofit organization that adheres to prescribed national standards for the selection, training, and assessment of service dogs for veterans. Such program must also furnish veterinary insurance for each such service dog.  The VA shall issue to a veteran to whom a service dog is provided a national service dog credential if the veteran furnishes certain documents to the VA. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Pups for Patriots Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) According to the Department of Veterans Affairs about 
        11 to 20 of every 100 veterans (11 to 20 percent) who served in 
        Operation Iraqi Freedom or in Operation Enduring Freedom are 
        diagnosed with post-traumatic stress.
            (2) The invisible wounds of war, including post-traumatic 
        stress, can cause debilitating symptoms in veterans leading to 
        depression, social isolation, and suicide.
            (3) Studies and first-hand accounts demonstrate that 
        service dogs provide support to veterans by mitigating their 
        disability, allowing for professional and social reintegration.
            (4) Service dogs reduce stress and anxiety levels, ease 
        depression, provide comfort, and restore confidence in affected 
        veterans.
            (5) Currently, waiting lists for service dogs average 
        between 18 and 24 months, with intensive compulsory training 
        costing an average of $25,000 per service dog.
            (6) The estimated cost of owning a service dog once adopted 
        is $1,200 to $1,600 per year for food, supplies, and general 
        veterinary health care.

SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out 
a pilot program under which the Secretary shall--
            (1) enter into contracts with qualified nonprofit 
        organizations for the provision of service dogs to eligible 
        veterans, including the procurement, training, and evaluation 
        of each such service dog;
            (2) ensure that each dog provided as a service dog under 
        the program meets the standards described in section 4(b); and
            (3) provide veterinary insurance for each service dog 
        provided to an eligible veteran pursuant to such a contract.
    (b) Eligible Veterans.--In this section, an eligible veteran is a 
veteran who--
            (1) served on active duty in the Armed Forces on or after 
        September 11, 2001;
            (2) has been diagnosed with severe or extreme post-
        traumatic stress or with a severe traumatic brain injury by a 
        Department of Veterans Affairs doctor or clinical social worker 
        who has treated the veteran;
            (3) has received evidence-based treatment and remains 
        symptomatic of severe or extreme post-traumatic stress or 
        severe traumatic brain injury, as determined by the Secretary 
        or a Department doctor or clinical social worker; and
            (4) commits to an evaluation by a Department doctor or 
        clinical social worker at a minimum of two times per year.
    (c) Relationship to Other Benefits.--A service dog provided to a 
veteran pursuant to a contract under the pilot program shall be in 
addition to all other benefits and services for which the veteran is 
eligible under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs.
    (d) Qualified Nonprofit Organizations.--For purposes of the pilot 
program under this section, a qualified nonprofit organization is a 
nonprofit organization that the Secretary determines adheres to the 
national standards for the selection, training, and assessment of 
service dogs for veterans described in section 4(b).
    (e) Annual Reports to Congress.--Not later than one year after the 
date on which the pilot program commences, and annually thereafter 
until the termination of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives a report on the pilot program. Each such report shall 
include an evaluation of the pilot program based on--
            (1) an update on the nonprofit organizations with which the 
        Secretary has entered into a contract;
            (2) summaries from the Department doctors and clinical 
        social workers who are evaluating the eligible veterans who 
        receive service dogs under the pilot program; and
            (3) an analysis of each eligible veteran's ability to 
        professionally and socially reintegrate, to reduce dependence 
        on prescriptive medications, and on relevant metrics pertaining 
        to the veteran's diagnosis of a mental health mobility disorder 
        related to post-traumatic stress or a traumatic brain injury.
    (f) Limitation on Payment of Expenses.--The contract between the 
Secretary and a qualified nonprofit organization under this section 
shall not provide for a payment to the organization in an amount in 
excess of $25,000 for each service dog provided under the contract, 
including the procurement, training, and evaluation of the service dog.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2023 $7,500,000 to 
carry out the pilot program.
    (h) Offset.--The amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated 
for the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Human Resources and 
Administration for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2023 shall be 
reduced by $7,500,000.
    (i) Termination.--The authority of the Secretary to enter into a 
contract under this section shall terminate on the date that is five 
years after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR SELECTION, TRAINING, AND ASSESSMENT OF 
              SERVICE DOGS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) At a convening facilitated by the National Association 
        of Veteran-Serving Organizations, a scientific advisory 
        committee was formed and developed national standards on the 
        selection, training, and assessment of service dogs to enhance 
        public safety, the humane treatment of service dogs, and 
        reliable task performance for veterans.
            (2) The national standards are publically available and may 
        be subject to revision following a sample study and an annual 
        review by the scientific advisory committee.
    (b) Standards.--The national standards for selection, training, and 
assessment of service dogs described in this section are the following:
            (1) With respect to canine breed and size, service dogs 
        should not be restricted by breed or size as the needs of 
        individual veterans vary according to mobility and lifestyle.
            (2) With respect to canine selection and health--
                    (A) breeds and lines within the breed should be 
                evaluated to ensure a long service life for a working 
                animal;
                    (B) service dog candidates should have a thorough 
                examination performed by a veterinarian;
                    (C) examinations should include radiography of the 
                hips and elbows as a predictor of future joint and 
                arthritic issues, and vision and hearing tests;
                    (D) service dogs should receive regular wellness 
                exams and vaccinations as recommended by a 
                veterinarian, be on year-round internal and external 
                parasite control; and be spayed or neutered; and
                    (E) service dog candidates should have a stable, 
                calm temperament.
            (3) With respect to canine training tasks, service dogs 
        should be able to perform a minimum of two tasks that directly 
        relate to the veteran's disability.
            (4) With respect to canine training methods and equipment--
                    (A) service dogs should perform tasks with alacrity 
                and show a desire to work;
                    (B) training equipment used must be appropriate for 
                the breed and dog, fitted, and used correctly; and
                    (C) electronic collars are not acceptable as a 
                humane training tool.
            (5) With respect to handler training--
                    (A) handlers should be educated on the fundamentals 
                of dog care and the humane treatment of animals, 
                including health care, nutritious diet, regular 
                exercise, and the absence of physical pain and stress; 
                and
                    (B) handlers must be educated on legal rights 
                according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, Air 
                Carrier Access Act, and Fair Housing Act, among others.
            (6) With respect to service dog assessments, service dogs 
        and their respective veterans should be observed in action in a 
        public settings that provide common distractions such as food, 
        noise, crowds, and other animals.
            (7) With respect to the background and role of an 
        assessor--
                    (A) an assessor should support and coach the 
                veteran to successfully partner with the veteran's 
                service dog;
                    (B) an assessor should have a background in service 
                dog training and evaluation and be experienced in 
                working with persons with post-traumatic stress; and
                    (C) an assessor should evaluate whether the service 
                dog is temperamentally suitable for the work as a 
                service dog.
    (c) Service Dog Credential.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall issue to an eligible veteran who is provided a service dog under 
the pilot program under section 3 with a national service dog 
credential if the veteran provides to the Secretary each of the 
following:
            (1) A certificate that the veteran has successfully 
        completed an assessment that meets the criteria under 
        subsection (b)(6).
            (2) Proof of a diagnosis, as described in section 3(b)(2), 
        from a Department doctor or clinical social worker.
            (3) A note from a Department doctor or clinical social 
        worker that includes a recommendation that the veteran have a 
        service dog.
            (4) A copy of the vaccination records of the veteran's 
        service dog and a note from the veterinarian who has treated 
        the service dog affirming that the dog is healthy enough to be 
        a service dog.
            (5) A list of tasks prepared by whom that the service dog 
        is able to perform that are directly related to the veteran's 
        diagnosis as determined by the Department doctor or clinical 
        social worker who made the veteran's diagnosis.