I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 359 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 

on dog training therapy. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 14, 2015 

Mr. STIVERS (for himself and Mr. WALZ) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a pilot program on dog training therapy. 

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 ‘‘Veterans Dog Training 

5 Therapy Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PRO7 GRAM ON DOG TRAINING THERAPY. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Commencing not later than 120 

9 days after the date of the enactment of the Act, the Sec10 retary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a pilot program 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 359 IH

1 under which the Secretary shall enter into a contract with 

2 one or more appropriate non-government entities for the 

3 purpose of assessing the effectiveness of addressing post4 deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress dis5 order symptoms through a therapeutic medium of training 

6 service dogs for veterans with disabilities. 

7 (b) DURATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The pilot pro8 gram required by subsection (a) shall be carried out dur9 ing the five-year period beginning on the date of the com10 mencement of the pilot program. 

11 (c) LOCATIONS OF PILOT PROGRAM.—In entering 

12 into contracts for purposes of the pilot program, the Sec13 retary shall seek to enter into contracts with appropriate 

14 non-government entities located in close proximity to at 

15 least three but not more than five medical centers of the 

16 Department. 

17 (d) APPROPRIATE NON-GOVERNMENT ENTITIES.— 

18 For purposes of the pilot program, an appropriate non19 government entity is an entity that is certified in the train20 ing and handling of service dogs and that has a training 

21 area that would be appropriate for use in educating vet22 erans with mental health conditions in the art and science 

23 of service dog training and handling. Such training area 

24 shall— 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 359 IH

1 (1) include a dedicated space that is suitable 

2 for grooming and training dogs indoors; 

3 (2) be wheelchair accessible; 

4 (3) include classroom or lecture space; 

5 (4) include office space for staff; 

6 (5) include a suitable space for storing training 

7 equipment; 

8 (6) provide for periodic use of other training 

9 areas for training the dogs with wheelchairs and 

10 conducting other exercises; 

11 (7) include outdoor exercise and toileting space 

12 for dogs; and 

13 (8) provide transportation for weekly field trips 

14 to train dogs in other environments. 

15 (e) DESIGN OF PILOT PROGRAM.—Each contract en16 tered into under subsection (a) shall provide that the non17 government entity shall— 

18 (1) ensure that veterans participating in the 

19 program receive training from certified service dog 

20 training instructors; 

21 (2) ensure that in selecting assistance dogs for 

22 use in the program, dogs residing in animal shelters 

23 or foster homes are looked at as an option, if appro24 priate, and ensure that all dogs used in the program 

25 have adequate temperament and health clearances; 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 359 IH

1 (3) ensure that each service dog in training 

2 participating in the pilot program is taught all es3 sential commands pertaining to service dog skills; 

4 (4) ensure that each service dog in training 

5 lives at the pilot program site or a volunteer foster 

6 home in the vicinity of such site while receiving 

7 training; 

8 (5) ensure that the pilot program involves both 

9 lecture of service dog training methodologies and 

10 practical hands-on training and grooming of service 

11 dogs; and 

12 (6) ensure that the pilot program is designed 

13 to— 

14 (A) maximize the therapeutic benefits to 

15 veterans participating in the program; and 

16 (B) provide well-trained service dogs to 

17 veterans with disabilities; and 

18 (7) in hiring service dog training instructors to 

19 carry out training under the pilot program, give a 

20 preference to veterans who have successfully grad21 uated from post-traumatic stress disorder or other 

22 residential treatment programs and who have re23 ceived adequate certification in service dog training. 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 359 IH

1 (f) ADMINISTRATION.—In order to carry out the pilot 

2 program under section (a), the Secretary of Veterans Af3 fairs shall— 

4 (1) administer the program through the Recre5 ation Therapy Service of the Department of Vet6 erans Affairs under the direction of a certified rec7 reational therapist with sufficient administrative ex8 perience to oversee the pilot program; and 

9 (2) establish a director of service dog training 

10 with a background working in social services, experi11 ence in teaching others to train service dogs in a vo12 cational setting, and at least one year of experience 

13 working with veterans or active duty service mem14 bers with post-traumatic stress disorder in a clinical 

15 setting. 

16 (g) VETERAN ELIGIBILITY.—The Secretary shall se17 lect veterans for participation in the pilot program. A vet18 eran with post-traumatic stress disorder or other post-de19 ployment mental health condition may volunteer to partici20 pate in the pilot program, if the Secretary determines that 

21 there are adequate program resources available for such 

22 veteran at the pilot program site. Veterans may partici23 pate in the pilot program in conjunction with the com24 pensated work therapy program of the Department of Vet25 erans Affairs. 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 359 IH

1 (h) COLLECTION OF DATA.—The Secretary shall col2 lect data on the pilot program required under subsection 

3 (a) to determine how effective the program is for the vet4 erans participating in the program. Such data shall in5 clude data to determine how effectively the program as6 sists veterans in— 

7 (1) reducing stigma associated with post-trau8 matic stress disorder or other post-deployment men9 tal health condition; 

10 (2) improving emotional regulation; 

11 (3) improving patience; 

12 (4) instilling or re-establishing a sense of pur13 pose; 

14 (5) providing an opportunity to help fellow vet15 erans; 

16 (6) reintegrating into the community; 

17 (7) exposing the dog to new environments and 

18 in doing so, helping the veteran reduce social isola19 tion and withdrawal; 

20 (8) building relationship skills, including par21 enting skills; 

22 (9) relaxing the hyper-vigilant survival state; 

23 (10) improving sleep patterns; and 

24 (11) enabling veterans to decrease the use of 

25 pain medication. 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 359 IH

1 (i) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than one year 

2 after the date of the commencement of the pilot program 

3 under subsection (a), and each year thereafter for the du4 ration of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to 

5 Congress a report on the pilot program. Each such report 

6 shall include— 

7 (1) the number of veterans participating in the 

8 pilot program; 

9 (2) a description of the services carried out 

10 under the pilot program; 

11 (3) the effects that participating in the pilot 

12 program has on the following— 

13 (A) symptoms of post-traumatic stress dis14 order and post-deployment adjustment difficul15 ties, including depression, maintenance of sobri16 ety, suicidal ideations, and homelessness; 

17 (B) potentially relevant physiological mark18 ers that possibly relate to the interactions with 

19 the service dogs; 

20 (C) family dynamics; 

21 (D) insomnia and pain management; and 

22 (E) overall well-being; and 

23 (4) the recommendations of the Secretary with 

24 respect to the extension or expansion of the pilot 

25 program. 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 359 IH

1 (j) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of this section, 

2 the term ‘‘service dog training instructor’’ means an in3 structor who provides the direct training of veterans with 

4 post-traumatic stress disorder and other post-deployment 

5 issues in the art and science of service dog training and 

6 handling. 

Æ 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS