I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1739 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for veterinary care for 

retired military working dogs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 10, 2021 

Mr. GARAMENDI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for veterinary care for retired military working dogs, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Support Our Military 

5 Working Dogs Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROVISION OF VETERI7 NARY CARE FOR RETIRED MILITARY WORK8 ING DOGS. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 994 of title 10, United 

10 States Code, is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (a); 

2 (A) by striking ‘‘establish and maintain a 

3 system to’’; 

4 (B) by striking ‘‘for the veterinary care of’’ 

5 and inserting ‘‘veterinary care for’’; and 

6 (C) by striking the second sentence; 

7 (2) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘that the 

8 Secretary of the military department concerned de9 termines is suitable for adoption or is’’ before 

10 ‘‘adopted’’; and 

11 (3) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘the system 

12 authorized by’’. 

13 (b) MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER ENTI14 TIES.—Such section is further amended by adding at the 

15 end the following new subsection: 

16 ‘‘(d) ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF DONATED FUNDS.— 

17 (1) The Secretary of Defense may accept donations of 

18 funds, gifts, and in-kind contributions for the purpose of 

19 providing long-term care for any military working dog 

20 adopted under section 2583 of this title. Any amount so 

21 accepted shall be available without further appropriation 

22 and without fiscal year limitation. 

23 ‘‘(2) The Secretary of Defense may enter into a 

24 multi-year agreement with a veterans service organization 

25 or appropriate nonprofit entity under which— 


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1 ‘‘(A) the organization or entity may solicit and 

2 accept donations of funds on behalf of the Depart3 ment of Defense pursuant to paragraph (1); and 

4 ‘‘(B) the organization or entity agrees to trans5 fer any funds accepted pursuant to such an agree6 ment to the Department of Defense. 

7 ‘‘(3) In this subsection, the term ‘veterans service or8 ganization’ means an organization recognized by the Sec9 retary of Veterans Affairs for the representation of vet10 erans under section 5902 of title 38.’’. 

11 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON CHARGE FOR ADOPTION OF MILI12 TARY ANIMALS. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (d) of section 2583 of 

14 title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking 

15 ‘‘may’’ and inserting ‘‘shall’’. 

16 (b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Subsection (g)(2)(A) 

17 of such section is amended by inserting ‘‘or’’ after the 

18 semicolon. 

19 SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION OF RESEARCH UNDER JOINT TRAU20 MA EDUCATION AND TRAINING DIREC21 TORATE AND INCLUSION OF MILITARY 

22 WORKING DOGS. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (b) of section 708 of 

24 the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 


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1 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 10 U.S.C. 1071 note) is 

2 amended— 

3 (1) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘of members 

4 of the Armed Forces’’ and inserting ‘‘with respect to 

5 both members of the Armed Forces and military 

6 working dogs’’; and 

7 (2) by striking paragraph (9) and inserting the 

8 following new paragraph: 

9 ‘‘(9) To inform and advise the conduct of re10 search on the leading causes of morbidity and mor11 tality of members of the Armed Forces and military 

12 working dogs in combat.’’. 

13 (b) VETERINARIANS IN PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

14 PLAN.—Subsection (d)(1) of such section is amended— 

15 (1) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as sub16 paragraph (G); and 

17 (2) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the fol18 lowing new subparagraph: 

19 ‘‘(F) Veterinary care.’’. 

Æ 


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